Big Brother, Series 1912
by EOlivet
Summary: 12 housemates - siblings, couples, strangers, colleagues - compete in a game where unlikely allies emerge, friendships deepen and knowledge may be even more important than power. A period version of Big Brother, Downton Abbey style!
1. Day One

**_Disclaimer: _**_The characters described herein are the property of Julian Fellowes and ITV, and the concept the property of John De Mol and Endemol productions. No copyright infringement is intended._

**_A/N: _**_This started as a discussion on Twitter, where thanks to a lot of encouragement, it went from a passing fancy to a fully realized plot. I don't like to write modern stories (others do it much better than me!) so this is my period version._

_Full disclosure: I haven't seen any of the UK's "Big Brother," though from what I read on the Internet and learned through others, it doesn't seem like it would work in 1912 (i.e., the "public" can't exactly "watch" and vote on evictions). So, I borrowed concepts from U.S. Big Brother – where the action is more self-contained. Please forgive anachronisms and suspend disbelief accordingly._

_Characters were chosen on the basis of reality show archetypes – but assume all characters who knew each other in say…October 1912 know each other here. There are several S2 and late S1 characters, so they would be strangers in this universe._

**_Acknowledgments:_**_ To Silvestria, for doing a post about this in her Tumblr and getting people to like it – which gave me the encouragement I needed to turn this into a fully realized idea._

_To Pemonynen for her endless patience and invaluable information about the UK's version of Big Brother._

_To bespectakate – who came up with a crucial player in the game, as well as some ideas. To Shiparker for her very vocal support, as well as ladypersie and Chickwriter for their enthusiasm._

___I'm hoping to update this like a televised version of "Big Brother" – once every few days, until S3 starts. We'll see how it goes. "Expect the unexpected" as U.S. BB says…_

* * *

_Day One_

Violet gazed out at the crowd of people that had assembled in the small drawing room. Her three granddaughters, her son's heir and the two guests she'd invited were seated, all looking slightly perturbed (though in truth, Matthew and that girl just looked a bit scared).

Her eyes wandered over to the six servants all standing behind them – housemaids, valets and footmen and two more guests – a chauffeur and a particularly insistent woman who'd insisted she'd served as a maid in London.

It was all she could do to keep her hands from rubbing together, but surely not in such mixed company.

"You're probably all wondering why I have assembled you here," she announced to the group.

"Yes, Granny – what is this place anyway? And why…" Edith looked derisively over the group, but seemed to correct herself at the last minute. "Why is this cadre of servants necessary? Surely, they have better things to do with their time."

Violet chuckled. "Quite so, my dear – quite so. But I'm afraid…not for a few weeks."

There was a collective gasp from the servants, and Mary repeated, "A few weeks?"

"Are we all to be here for weeks? I'm a very busy man," the unknown male guest chimed in, already sounding irritated. Violet noticed how Mary looked over at him, a slight smile curling her lips – and knew she'd made the correct assumption.

"Well, that rather depends on how well you fare at the game," Violet informed this rather rude gentleman, though her answer seemed to be addressed to all assembled. "This is a game we played here, at my big brother's house many years ago."

"But Granny, what kind of game takes a few weeks?" Sybil wanted to know – with the slightest bit of intrigue coloring her words.

She remained silent for a moment – all the better to draw out the suspense. "This kind," she announced. "You shall be living in this house as both competitors and allies. Every couple days, there will be a new house leader."

The male guest perked up at the idea of this, but Mary only scoffed. "That doesn't sound like any game I've ever played."

Matthew laughed, almost under his breath, and Mary glared at him in response.

Violet continued, as if she'd not been so rudely interrupted: "The leader shall nominate two of your…housemates for eviction. And the voting on whether or not you stay or go will be determined by…your fellow housemates."

"But that's not fair!" cried Edith. "Surely, we can bring someone objective – some people from the village in to decide."

"We'll not have outsiders interfering with the game!" Violet exclaimed, trying to keep control of her voice. "Only the participants shall know its dynamics. Who better to judge who among you is worthy to continue?"

"Who indeed?" put in this male guest, and Violet shot him a look. His smugness could cost him, she thought – or get him very far in this game.

Sybil seemed to be working something out in her head. "But Granny," she piped up. "There are only six of us, and if the leader changes after a couple days, then how does the game take a few weeks?"

A twinkle appeared in Violet's eye as she mused, "A very good question, my dear. You may have noticed the servants standing behind you…" She waved her hand to indicate the large group, but the servants didn't bat an eye. One more delicious pause and then… "They are not here to help you – they are here to participate with you."

Now a collective gasp seemed to echo around the room. "Play a game with servants?" Edith sounded particularly aghast.

"Why not?" Violet challenged her. "How better to test your skills at developing and maintaining relationships than seeing how well you interact with those from _all_ walks of life? That is after all, what my big brother's game was about – to live in a house with a mixed group of people, cut off from the outside world."

"You mean we can't leave?" Mary protested. "We'll go mad stuck in this house for days on end!"

Violet nodded. "My big brother prepared for that, too." With a brief nod, O'Brien materialized, carrying what looked to be a stack of books.

The male guest seemed to take great offense at this. "Is she playing, as well? That would unbalance the numbers – the servants could pick us all off one by one."

O'Brien shot him a look, but Violet held up her hand. "No, sir – she is not. She is here to ensure the game runs smoothly. She has been instructed about its rules and will report back to me about everything – from the house leader to the nominations and evictions, as well as how you all interact with one another."

Now Violet removed a book from the stack and held it up for all to see. "These are your diaries. You will fill them out in a room designed for such purpose. When you are called to this…diary room, you will be able to write in them about anything relating to the game. Your fellow housemates will never see them, so be as honest as you wish."

"We can write anything…Lady Grantham?" the female guest asked, timidly.

"Yes, anything. The diary room is a quintessential part of my big brother's game."

"And did you win the game when you played, Granny?" Sybil asked, eyes shining with a competitive spirit.

Violet gazed at her youngest granddaughter before raising her eyebrows in response. "What do you think, my dear?" After another moment, she continued. "Well, I better leave you all to get acquainted. As I mentioned, relationships are key to winning the game."

"And…what is the prize for the winner?" Mary almost sounded tentative. Almost.

Violet merely smiled. "Well, I suppose you'll find out, won't you? Good luck to all of you. I'll be eager to hear how it goes," she added, cryptically – before leaving the room.

The remaining 12 people in the room all looked around at each other, mightily confused. Sybil was the first to break the silence. "Well, if everyone is playing, I think everyone should be seated." She looked at O'Brien almost hesitantly. "O'Brien…would you fetch us six more chairs?"

Without responding, O'Brien simply left the room.

Awkward silence filled the room once more, as nobody seemed quite sure how to proceed. Finally, Mary let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh for heaven's sake, I'm Lady Mary Crawley – these are my sisters—"

"Beg pardon, m'lady?" O'Brien's voice came from somewhere outside the room. "But her Ladyship's big brother's game requires that everyone introduce themselves."

Edith smirked triumphantly, as Mary rolled her eyes – but obviously was not about to disagree with her grandmother's rules. "I'm Lady Edith Crawley," she announced.

"And no titles," O'Brien continued. "Everyone goes by first name and surname, if you wish, for the game only."

"Does that include you?" Mary asked, crossly.

"It does not, if you know what's good for you…m'lady," O'Brien answered in as derisive a tone as she could manage.

_I feel that writing in a diary is a stupid waste of time,_ Mary wrote later that day. _But I would like it known that titles help to maintain order, and I object to them not being used._

_Mary must be positively livid about not using titles,_ Edith penned gleefully. _Heaven forbid anyone treat her with anything less than complete deference at all times._

"Sybil Crawley," Sybil put in, defiantly leaving off her title.

_I'm excited not to use titles – at last, we can all be treated as equals,_ Sybil scribbled down. _And I've not seen that male servant before._

There was another pause before Matthew put in, "I'm, er…Matthew Crawley."

_I don't know exactly what they expect us to write. I was not aware these sorts of games existed, though I'd not be surprised if it was some sort of requirement for the entail,_ Matthew wrote hesitantly.

"Are you all related?" the male guest wondered. "Should we all be concerned that you'll be working together to pick us all off?"

"I suppose you'll just have to find out, won't you?" Mary replied, with a gleam in her eye.

The male guest raised an eyebrow, seeming almost pleased at the challenge. "I'm Sir Richard Carlisle – I was asked here by Lady Grantham."

"And what do you do…Richard?" Sybil asked, remembering the rules.

"The housemates are only required to share as much information as they wish." O'Brien's voice came floating back into the room.

But Sir Richard didn't seem that put off. "I'm a journalist," he responded, simply – and left it at that.

_Of course I didn't tell them that I run newspapers, _Richard penned eagerly. _It's not a lie – I simply withheld information. Best not to be seen as too big a threat._

The female guest spoke so softly, she could barely be heard, "I'm Lavinia Swire. I'm from London and I, too, was asked here by Lady Grantham."

_I miss my dad,_ Lavinia wrote carefully. _I do hope he's alright. I didn't realize this game lasted a month – I've never been away from home that long._

O'Brien returned now with the chairs, placing them round the room before leaving once again. All of the servants eyed them skeptically except two of them, who sat down immediately.

"I'm Thomas Barrow," Thomas said, gazing around the room at those he knew and perhaps wanted to know a little better. He crossed his legs defiantly in the chair, enjoying his newfound status.

_At last I'm treated with the respect I deserve,_ Thomas wrote, excitedly. _I'll show this lot who really runs the house._

The servants' side also featured an unfamiliar female guest, as she sat daintily in her chair, as if she was every inch the aristocrat that the ladies were. "I'm Vera Bates," she said, with a significant glance behind her. "I'm John Bates' wife."

_I have waited a long time for this, Batesy._ Vera's script was barely legible.

"So, we have married couples and siblings playing together," Richard commented. "I'm not sure this is entirely fair."

"I'm not sure you have much of a choice," Mary replied, turning slightly towards him.

Now Bates spoke up from his place behind one of the chairs. "I can assure you that my personal relationship with Mrs. Bates will not compromise my objectivity in any way." After a moment, he then sheepishly put in, "I'm John Bates."

_Vera found me. I'm not sure how. Or what this means, really,_ Bates wrote on three separate lines.

An unfamiliar male guest strode round the chairs before also taking a seat. "I'm Tom Branson."

_I don't know what this game is about,_ Branson wrote. _But I think the classes could do with a bit of mixing, so I'm all for it._

Thomas turned round to glare at William, who merely curled his hands over the back of the seat, patting it awkwardly. "William…Mason."

"And I'm Anna Smith," said Anna, steadfastly refusing to be seated.

_I would have liked to have had a seat,_ Anna confessed in neat script. _But it didn't seem right at the time._

Richard was observing all this with a keen eye. "And how do you all know each other?" he wanted to know.

"We're in service together," William replied almost immediately, as Thomas shot him a disgusted look. "What?"

"We're not supposed to reveal anything we don't want to be known," Thomas gritted out between his teeth. "And you can't stop yourself from blabbing our secrets."

William bowed his head, looking chastened as he mumbled, "I didn't know it was a secret."

"It wasn't a secret," Anna assured him. "It was just private. There's a difference." She then cast an annoyed look at Thomas.

_Bloody William can't keep his bloody mouth shut! How many times must he be told we're not friends with these people – especially now!_ Thomas scribbled angrily.

_I wonder if Thomas is going to report me to Mr. Carson,_ William lamented to his diary.

_So, if the servants are all working together,_ Richard wondered, with a thoughtful tap of his pen, _then I'm going to need a new plan._

They all fell into silence once more – each casting an eye around the room, trying to assess their competition.

"Granny— er…Lady Grantham said something about picking a house leader," Sybil mentioned, breaking the silence once more. Her grin broadened as her eyes twinkled. "Perhaps we're supposed to vote?"

_Voting would be the fairest way to decide, _Sybil wrote. _And it's a privilege not enjoyed by all of us._

Richard frowned. "That doesn't seem like a particularly just solution – especially when you lot will simply vote in blocks." He glanced briefly in Lavinia's direction before adding, "I'm afraid the rest of us don't stand a chance."

Lavinia shifted in her seat, seeming particularly uncomfortable. "I'm fine with voting, if that's what we're supposed to do."

"It most certainly is not." O'Brien's voice seemed to materialize out of nowhere. "House leader will be determined by how well you complete an assigned task."

"A task?" Mary balked at this. "So, we all must compete?"

Edith's lips twitched. "Unless you don't want to be leader, Mary."

Now Mary rolled her eyes with a brief toss of her head. "Don't be absurd. Some of us simply don't feel it necessary to compete in order to lead."

_I wish Lady Mary and Lady Edith wouldn't fight in public,_ Anna lamented to her diary. _It doesn't look well on either of them._

Matthew shifted in his seat, his fingers rubbing together uneasily.

_I don't think it's right for us to compete against women, _Matthew wrote. _Though please, don't tell my mother I said that._

"Well, can we get on with it?" asked Richard, with a touch of impatience.

"Yes, sir. If you all will come to the task room," O'Brien's voice rang out from what sounded like the other end of the house.

The housemates all rose from their chairs, looking various degrees of discomfited at this promised competition.

"And how exactly are we supposed to find this…task room?" Thomas wondered. "Sense of smell?"

"...O'Brien?" Edith called, peering round as if she was trying to locate the hidden ladies' maid.

"I'll thank you not to address me during the game…m'lady," O'Brien's voice responded. "I can make your life in this house very comfortable or quite miserable indeed. Heaven forbid I decide to let the cook go and let you fend for yourselves in the store cupboard."

The room was quiet after that, though Anna did stifle a chuckle at the thought. Her eyes found Bates' as she smiled, before quickly looking away.

_I still think competing for house leader will be tremendously boring. Almost as much as writing in a diary, _Mary sighed, putting down her pen.

* * *

"Congratulations, Vera Bates – you are the house leader," O'Brien's voice intoned as the housemates all headed back to the drawing room. Violet's big brother's house was much larger than any of them had anticipated – with a task room on the ground floor that was hidden from view.

The rest of the housemates weren't exactly in the best of moods, with their fates in the game now in the hands of Bates' seemingly deranged, slightly unhinged and heretofore unknown wife.

_As if one Bates wasn't enough, _Thomas wrote. _I'm sick of being shafted by Bateses!_

Though indeed, Bates looked the most uncomfortable of any of them – as if only he could knew for sure exactly what she was capable of doing, or the kind of havoc she could wreak on the house if given the chance.

_Vera won. I suppose that is the story of my life,_ Bates bemoaned to his diary.

"As house leader, your job is to nominate two housemates for eviction." O'Brien informed her (as well as the other housemates). "You have tonight and tomorrow morning to consider your choices. And remember…I'm keeping an ear on you. All of you."

As the housemates began to trickle out of the sitting room, some began adjourning upstairs to the first floor – most notably Mary, Edith and Richard were the first to leave – with Matthew and Lavinia following close behind.

_Perhaps I wasn't expecting any of the lower classes to win so soon,_ Richard penned, eagerly. _But it doesn't mean I wasn't prepared for it._

"Sybil, are you coming?" Mary asked, glancing at her younger sister who was surreptitiously eyeing Branson.

Shaking her head, Sybil waved her hand to indicate Mary should continue without her. "I'm fine, Mary – just go."

With all the upper classes gone (except Sybil – who didn't look like she'd mind too much), Branson stretched out onto the settee, and leaned back with a grin. "I could get used to this."

Anna and William stayed behind with Bates and Vera, while Thomas skulked around the ground floor, looking somewhat out of sorts.

Vera looked around the room, triumphantly – enjoying her newfound and hard-earned power.

_I won,_ Vera wrote happily. _But of course I always win. Now to bring some order to this house..._


	2. Day One cont, Day Two & Day Three

_A/N: Many thanks for all your reviews and support! I'm absolutely thrilled you're enjoying the story!_

_Special thanks to Pemonynen, for her tireless answers to all my Big Brother questions._

_Also, I chose house leader at random by pulling names out of a hat every time. I plotted out everything else, but did leave that one detail entirely to chance._

* * *

_Day One (cont.)_

Richard found one of the first floor rooms unoccupied, and attempted to casually lead Mary, Edith, Matthew and Lavinia in there for a proper meeting.

Obviously, he'd expected to win house leader himself – and was shocked when the winner had been that strange little Irish woman – the wife of one of the male servants (though to his keen eyes, the man looked particularly out of sorts in her presence).

Mary glanced around, as if they'd been followed. "'I'm keeping an ear on you'…'" she repeated, thoughtfully. "She…can't mean she's listening to us."

"That's exactly what I meant, m'lady." O'Brien's voice seemed to reverberate throughout the space. "So no funny business. I can hear everything."

As she spoke, Matthew began to look round the room – squatting down on the floor and then looking up to the ceiling, and making himself look quite ridiculous in the process.

"What on earth are you doing?" Mary asked, trying to stifle a slightly nasty laugh.

He didn't answer for a moment, until his eyes seemed to light upon something in the corner of the room. "Ah! There we are."

Everyone turned to see him indicating a large vent that was almost on the ceiling.

"I saw something like that in the sitting room," Lavinia added, quietly.

"Do you think they're in all the rooms?" Edith wondered.

Mary rolled her eyes again. "How else do you think O—" quickly, she corrected herself, "we can be heard?"

"Even so," Matthew mused, "she's not…part of the game, is she?"

"No, she is not…_sir_," O'Brien answered, dutifully but disgustedly.

"Well, then there you have it," Mary said. "All we have to do is talk quietly enough that they can't hear us downstairs."

"Where they're surely plotting against us," Richard mused.

At this, Matthew looked somewhat confused. "But…why? Vera Bates is a complete stranger to everyone but her husband – why should _we_ be her targets?"

_I don't understand why we feel the need to separate ourselves from the others,_ Matthew wondered to his diary. _This Richard fellow is only encouraging discord, though unfortunately it appears there's very little to be done about it._

"Because we're _upstairs_," Richard answered, significantly. "And they're…_downstairs_. So, it's rather important that we…stick together, wouldn't you say?"

Mary nodded. "I think that would be wise."

"Do you…really think they're out to get us?" Lavinia sounded almost timid.

Richard nodded, sagely. "Oh yes," he replied, lowering his voice as if to speak to someone who was very stupid indeed. "You must know how much they resent us – and what we represent. Especially now that _they_ are the ones with the power."

"But doesn't that mean we should be friendly towards them?" Matthew pressed, unwilling to let this go. He turned to Mary. "Your sister is down there with them – surely if they were _that bad_, you'd have done something."

For a moment, Mary seemed unsure of what to say.

_Why must Matthew always think himself better than the rest of us? _Mary wrote, with a flourish. _There's no room for idealism in this game. We must be practical if we're to come out ahead._

Finally, she replied with a careless toss of her head. "Sybil can look after herself."

"So…are we in agreement?" Richard looked round the room, anxious to solidify the deal.

Mary merely smiled. "What do you think?" She seemed to have appointed herself speaker for the rest of them, as Matthew and Lavinia only gave the barest of nods.

"You'll have to speak with your sisters," Richard warned Mary. "It's imperative that we all stick together."

"Sisters?" Mary frownded, now glancing round the room. "Where's Edith got to?"

Only Matthew looked with her, his eyes settling upon the door. "She must have just…wandered out."

"Well, that's just perfect," Mary sighed, disgustedly.

_Of course Edith can't be trusted, _Mary sighed, her pen poised in midair. _Well, she'll never get anywhere if she places no value on loyalty._

_I wouldn't want to be in any alliance Mary was in anyway! _Edith scribbled, defiantly. _And I certainly don't have to pretend her best interests are mine any longer. For once, I can do what I want!_

Edith crept down the stairs, and headed to the dining room where Sybil, Branson, and William were eating. In truth, she was trying to listen in on Vera, Bates and Anna, who were still in the sitting room.

* * *

"Well, I think I've heard quite enough from that uppity little minx, Mary Crawley," Vera opined. "She's trouble, Batesy – and she'll be no good for us down the road."

Bates looked as if this discussion was wearing on his last nerve. "I don't think…" He paused, remembering the rules, "Mary Crawley is any kind of threat. She wasn't exactly the one who was trying to divide the house by class."

"Mr., er…John is right," she finished, almost shyly. "Trust me, there's no reason to antagonize Mary Crawley. She has no reason to dislike you."

_What does Vera Bates want with Lady Mary_? Anna wrote. _If she wants to rid the house of troublemakers, then she's barking up the wrong branch of that family tree._

"And what would you know of it?" Vera's tone was almost snide. "_I'm_ the house leader. It's _my _decision."

_I have to leave Richard in the game, because he's the most obvious threat. But that doesn't mean I can't weaken him by taking out who seems to be his closest ally, _Vera scribbled, thoughtfully.

Bates shook his head so slowly that he seemed to be drawing upon his last reserves of patience to hold his tongue.

_She will never learn_, Bates confessed to his diary. _She will never, ever learn._

As usual, it was Anna with the cool head who brought them back to the task at hand. "Look, it's been a long day," she said. "Why don't we get something to eat and we can discuss it afterwards?"

Bates nodded, as Vera sighed, with a wave of her hand. "Go on, then – I'll be there in a minute."

She watched Anna and Bates leave together through one door, barely noticing the person who'd come in through the other and taken a seat across from her.

"Glad to catch you alone," Thomas remarked, leaning back on the settee as his arm extended across the back.

Blinking, Vera gave him an odd look. "You're…Thomas, aren't you?"

"That's right." Thomas smirked in reply, like the cat who got the cream.

"Well, then Thomas – what can I do for you? Or perhaps I should ask what can _you_ do for me?"

Raising his eyebrows, Thomas nodded briefly. "Well, you have quite a decision tomorrow, don't you?"

Vera was doing her best not to appear irritated. "So it would seem," she allowed, with the most placid smile she could manage.

"I just wanted you to know…" he continued, cryptically. "That if you decide to make a move, I've got your back. Me and William – he'll do what I say."

"Will he?" Vera frowned.

_So, Thomas says he can control William's vote_, Vera penned, thoughtfully._ I'm not sure anyone should have that kind of power._

Thomas nodded. "All I'm saying is you're covered, if you want to take out Bates."

"Bates!" Her eyes widened to an almost comical degree, as she fixed Thomas with what seemed to be a maniacal glare. "What on earth would make you think I want to get rid of my own husband?"

"Don't tell me you haven't seen how he looks at Anna Smith!" Thomas declared, emphatically. "Thick as thieves, they are. And you should hear how openly he speaks to her. Not like any married man I've ever seen…"

"My Bates would _never_ betray me," Vera said, coldly. "Not if he knew what was good for him."

"You sure about that?" Thomas challenged, not wanting to back down when his goal was so close at hand. Bates had been a thorn in his side for what only felt like an inordinate length of time.

Quietly, Vera rose from her chair, crossing the room before seating herself on the settee. "Now you listen very closely…_Thomas_." Her tone was quiet, but firmly controlled. "Here's what's going to happen. You're going to get up and walk out of here right now…and not repeat what you just said to _anyone_. Understood?"

Visibly paling under her intense scrutiny, Thomas' mouth hung open slightly before murmuring, "Understood." It took a lot to rattle him, but Vera Bates just might have done it.

"Well that's fine then." She got up and headed for the door, her smile never faltering. "Do you know, I think I might fancy a bite to eat after all?"

With that, she left the room – leaving Thomas quite alone on the settee.

_What the bloody hell just happened? _wailed Thomas, in writing. _She's out of her mind, she is! I should've known if anyone would have a mad wife in the attic, it'd be Bates._

_Oh, Thomas, _chuckled Vera to her diary. _Of course I have much bigger plans for my dear old Batesy. But it's far too early for that._

* * *

_Day Two_

Breakfast was a tense affair, with none of the housemates getting a particularly good night's rest. Thomas had been up half the night pacing, every so often asking the voice of O'Brien if he could have a cigarette.

"Housemates are not allowed to smoke in her Ladyship's big brother's house," had been O'Brien's unsympathetic response – complete with what he swore was a particularly long exhalation after that, as if she was partaking of one herself.

Branson was enjoying his meal with particular relish, and Sybil kept looking over at him, amusedly.

Richard, Mary and Lavinia had sequestered themselves on one side of the table. Matthew sat across from them, and Edith sat next to him. Sybil was only a couple chairs down from her – but they might as well have been eating in separate rooms.

"This is really delicious," Sybil commented, eager to maintain a positive atmosphere.

_I don't understand why everyone is so serious this morning, _Sybil wrote. _It's only a game, and yet nobody is having any fun._

Her sister's comment seemed to set Mary off. "I'd be a lot happier if this house had any books."

"Or newspapers," put in Richard.

"No reading material of any kind is allowed in the house." O'Brien's voice trickled down through the vents.

Mary rolled her eyes. "Then how exactly are we supposed to amuse ourselves?"

"By playing the game…m'lady," was O'Brien's cheeky answer.

After breakfast, everyone cleared out pretty quickly – not wanting to spend another moment in the company of all assembled, if they could help it. But as Bates was getting up to leave, Vera put her hand on his arm.

"Stay a moment, Batesy," she implored, softly.

He nodded briefly to Anna, and she offered a small smile in return before she left the room. Sighing, he then turned to his wife. "What is it, Vera?"

Smiling, she paused a moment. "I've just heard the most salacious little story," Vera quipped. "About you and that housemaid, Anna Smith."

"What? Who told you—"

Vera tightened her grip on his wrist. "Oh, don't worry. I know it's not true. Because if it was…well…" she trailed off, laughing slightly to herself before giving him a rather pointed look. "I do need to make _two_ nominations."

A look of horror fell over Bates' face.

"Of course _we_…" she emphasized the word, carefully, "want that Mary Crawley to go home, so…who better to put against her than Anna? She seems to be _very _well liked. And no one would ever vote for her…would they, Batesy?"

"You leave Anna out of this," he warned his wife, through clenched teeth.

She held his gaze for a moment longer, before releasing her grip on his arm. "Well, I suppose that all depends…" Pausing, her smile turned sweetly acidic, "…on you doing the same."

* * *

At noon, the housemates were all sat, anxiously waiting as Vera was called to the diary room to write down her nominations in accordance with Violet's big brother's house rules.

Mary kept sneaking glances over at Sybil, who was seated across from Branson. Both of them were smiling, as if any of this was at all fun.

_Of course I don't want to be nominated, but I don't know the woman, so I don't expect to be. Besides, I'm far more concerned with how Sybil keeps acting in public, _Mary penned, anxiously.

Richard drummed his fingers anxiously on his crossed legs.

_Oh, I fully expect to be nominated, _Richard matter-of-factly tapped his pen before continuing. _I know they see me as a threat. And I can't say I blame them._

Thomas, too, stared out into the distance.

_I don't see why she wouldn't nominate Bates after I served him up on a silver platter, _Thomas confessed to his diary. _Who else is she going to nominate, I ask you?_

_Nobody knows what Vera will do - least of all me, _Bates wrote. _But if she nominates Anna, I'll never forgive myself._

Slowly, Vera walked back into the room and sat herself primly down on the settee next to Bates.

"Housemates," O'Brien addressed them suddenly. "There are two people nominated for eviction from her Ladyship's big brother's house. They are in alphabetical order…

…Thomas Barrow and Mary Crawley."

All eyes turned to Vera, who simply shrugged.

"Voting will occur tomorrow. A simple majority of housemates, excepting the house leader and the two nominees, will determine eviction."

Mary sat staring stonily ahead, while Thomas looked appalled. Edith could barely contain her glee.

Bates just sighed, unsure whether to be upset or relieved.

Mary stormed up to the room where she'd so ignominiously spent the previous night. The house had only limited bedrooms, but they were all rather large – so she'd been forced to share one with Sybil and Lavinia.

_Why on earth would that woman nominate me? _Mary scribbled furiously._ Especially when I've hardly even spoken to her?_

* * *

"Mary, are you alright?" She could hear Matthew in the corridor, and couldn't help but rolling her eyes. Sympathy was the last thing she needed right now.

She went out into the corridor, where Matthew, Richard and Lavinia had gone after her. "Now do you believe it, Matthew? Do you see why we must stick together – all of us?"

Richard nodded firmly. "The good news is she nominated one of them, and Vera has no vote. So, as long as we get your sisters on our side, we'll be fine."

With a rather unladylike snort, Mary responded, "I wish you luck with that. Edith will be the first one to cast a vote against me."

There were footsteps on the stairway, and the upstairs alliance glanced at each other, before Richard, beat a hasty retreat to one of the upstairs morning rooms – Matthew and Lavinia following close at hand.

Mary, however, recognized the footsteps and chose to stay behind. "Hello, Anna," she greeted, as Anna came into view.

_I wanted to tell Lady Mary how sorry I was she was nominated, _Anna wrote. _I don't understand Vera Bates. She seems so unlike Mr. Bates._

Anna seemed almost shy for a moment. "I just…wanted you to know…that I'm on your side in all this. No matter what happens."

Her words elicited Mary's most genuine smile in what felt like days. "Thank you, Anna."

"And nobody likes Thomas much anyway," she assured Mary, with a grin.

The two of them at least shared a laugh at that.

* * *

Thomas had not moved from where he was sat, even though most everyone else had gone. Only William remained beside him.

"She's mad," Thomas kept saying. "She's stark raving mad. I was on her side!"

"I know you were," William kept trying to assure him.

At that moment, Branson walked by the door, whistling to himself.

"Hey there…er…Tom, was it?" Thomas called.

Branson stopped. "Yes, that's right." He walked into the room to join the two men, seating himself on an empty chair. "And you're…Thomas, right?"

"Right you are." Thomas attempted to smile. "Thomas…and Tom. Fancy that. And us both in service…"

"I…suppose so." Branson shrugged, almost as if he was barely listening.

"We've…got quite a bit in common," Thomas ventured, trying to act as friendly as he could while still proving his point. "Perhaps…we could have a great deal more in common…in the weeks ahead."

For a moment, Branson seemed confused, before comprehension appeared to dawn across his face. "You think so?" he allowed.

"I do indeed."

The two men exchanged uneasy grins, as Thomas got up and left the room. Branson shook his head to himself, leaning back in his chair as he caught a glimpse of Sybil walking past.

_Thomas seems like a decent fellow, _Branson pondered to his diary. _But Mary Crawley is Sybil Crawley's sister. There may be some things even more important than this game._

* * *

_Day Three_

"Housemates..."

O'Brien's voice rang out through the small sitting room, where 12 pairs of eyes snapped to attention.

"Lady Grantham is listening to you live. Please do not curse."

For a moment, it looked like Thomas was about to break that rule, before thinking better of it.

"Thomas Barrow and Mary Crawley, the voting is closed. The votes have been counted and verified and I can now reveal that by a vote of 7-2, the first person to be evicted from Lady Grantham's big brother's house is…

…Thomas Barrow. "

Mary let out a breath, but then realizing she was being watched, she straightened and attempted a veneer of cool disinterest. Thomas was glaring at Vera, who looked at him straight in the eye for a moment – as if in challenge – before turning her head completely away from him.

O'Brien's voice continued: "Thomas Barrow, you must say your goodbyes promptly – else I come to get you."

Straightening his jacket, Thomas rose from his chair and stalked out of the room without saying goodbye to anyone. Moments later, they heard the door slam behind him.

"Well, that was fairly painless," Richard joked, as a way of easing the tension.

"For some of us," reminded Mary, pointedly.

_Am I happy that I survived eviction? _Mary stared at the diary as if it would somehow provide the answer for her. _I suppose I'm not unhappy about it._

Branson's mind, however, was on other things besides his diary entry: _I am sorry to see Thomas go, but it seemed too risky to vote to keep him._

_Goodbye, Thomas Barrow, _was Vera's less than feeling epitaph. _But anyone besides me who threatens my Batesy simply has to go._

"Housemates, if you would adjourn to the task room, where you will compete to become the new house leader. Vera Bates, as outgoing house leader, you are not eligible to compete," O'Brien informed them.

Sybil looked around the room, seeming uncomfortable as they all rose from their chairs.

_Thomas isn't gone for five minutes, and we're picking a new leader, _Sybil wrote, sadly. _This game is more competitive than I thought it would be._

* * *

"Congratulations, John Bates, you are the new house leader," O'Brien proclaimed, with the slightest hint of annoyance as the housemates once again left the task room.

Upon hearing the news, however, Vera sprang up from her place in the sitting room to find her husband.

"We did it, Batesy!" she exclaimed, approaching him excitedly. "Once again, we have all the power!"

She barely missed the smile he'd been sharing with Anna immediately fade from his face.

_I don't want to be the leader, _Bates opined, with a sad tap of his pen. _I'm not comfortable with it, especially when I know Vera will simply want me to do her bidding._

_I knew my Batesy wasn't as dumb as he looks, _Vera wrote. _What a golden opportunity to remove another major threat from this game. And perhaps, from his life, too._

Richard looked especially downhearted as he headed upstairs.

_Another house leader from the lower classes. _Richard shook his head as he wrote. _I'm beginning to wonder if I picked the wrong side._


	3. Day Three cont, Day Four & Day Five

_A/N: Many grateful thanks to all for your continued support! I'm so excited you're continuing to enjoy the story._

* * *

_Day Three (cont)_

Bates, Vera and Anna made their way into the empty task room after all the other housemates had dispersed.

"I cannot believe our good fortune," Vera crowed, practically rubbing her hands together in glee. "A second chance to rid the house of Mary Crawley. You saw how many votes she got, Batesy – even you can't deny how dangerous she is now."

Bates was silent for a moment, before turning to his wife with a completely cold expression. "Vera, _I _am the house leader." He paused a moment before musing, "And I still think Richard will be the one coming after us whenever he can seize power."

"I agree," Anna said, nodding. "Richard Carlisle is dangerous. The longer we leave him in the house, the more chances he has to win house leader."

Vera couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Richard Carlisle is a _distraction_. As long as he's in the house, he's the biggest target here, and nobody is paying us any attention."

"They won't be paying us any attention, because there won't _be _an us left." Bates tried to reason with her. "He didn't take too kindly to playing the game with those in a prior relationship. Can you see him leaving a married couple in there for very long?"

"But why antagonize him?" Vera wondered. "When we can just cut him off at the knees by taking out his strongest ally?"

Bates then turned to Anna. "What do you think?" he asked her.

Anna shrugged, giving him a sincere smile. "I think you should do what you think is right."

The two of them shared a look, which did not go unnoticed by Vera.

_There can only be one person in my Batesy's ear, Anna Smith, _Vera's pen practically jabbed through the paper. _You'd better watch your mouth…and your back._

* * *

Anna left Vera, who was somehow still attempting to work on Bates – and surreptitiously headed upstairs. She knew Bates would do the right thing, but she also supposed that Vera could be quite persistent – especially now that she seemed to see this as her second turn at house leader.

She thought she had heard Mary talking to someone in one of the upstairs morning rooms, but wasn't too thrilled when it turned out to be Richard. While Anna implicitly didn't trust him, her discomfort was outweighed by her own need to speak with Mary.

Mary looked up as soon as she heard Anna entering. Richard's brow merely furrowed at being interrupted.

"Anna? What is it?" Mary asked, concerned. Anna's expression must've given her away.

"I just thought you should know…" Anna looked from Mary to Richard, unsure of whether or not to continue.

_I don't like Richard Carlisle, _Anna said, shivering slightly as she wrote. _I don't know him very well, but there's something about him that makes me a bit uneasy._

Mary seemed to sense her discomfort. "Go on, Anna. Richard and I have…similar interests. Anything you can say to me you can say in front of him."

"Please…" Richard gestured, generously – with only the slightest hint of condescension. "Continue."

Anna gave Richard a wary glance, but pressed on: "Vera is trying to poison…John Bates against you." She paused, before adding, "He's not budging right now, but we all know she can be quite persistent."

Mary smiled. "Thank you, Anna. I'm quite sure you're better to me than I deserve."

"Then perhaps we, too, have similar interests," Anna stated, boldly – before remembering her place, and bowing her head in what little sign of deference she could still exhibit in this house. "I'll leave you two alone then."

As soon as she'd left, Mary rose from her chair. "I should speak to Matthew and Lavinia. Let them know what's happened." Richard nodded, but still looked uncertain. "What is it?"

"She seemed unusually cheeky," he mused. "Implying you have similar interests when you're on opposite sides of the house?"

Mary's gaze turned cold. "There are few people in this house I trust more than Anna."

"Is that so?" Richard remarked, with a questioning raise of his eyebrow.

"Quite so," Mary responded, as she turned to leave. It was only when she was in the corridor that she realized Richard was most likely right. Mary never would have tolerated that kind of behavior from Anna before. Yet something about the house…made it seem alright.

_It was good of Anna to tell me about Vera, _Mary penned, almost thoughtfully. _I suppose she really is on my side._

* * *

_Day Four_

The second day of nominations was no easier than the first, and Bates was still tremendously conflicted about what to do.

He was sharing a room with Matthew and Richard, and he'd barely spoken to either of them – making accommodations quite awkward. But this morning, he'd come out of the room after the two other men had left to find Matthew waiting for him in the corridor.

"I, er…" Matthew looked around, hesitantly – as if he was concerned someone would see them. "I wondered if I might speak to you a moment before we go down."

"Certainly," replied Bates, amicably.

_I wanted to speak with Bates, because I thought it might be a bit more productive than this isolationist attitude where we speak to no one at all outside of our little groups, _explained Matthew to his diary.

"I'll come right to the point…" Matthew paused a moment, weighing his words carefully. "I know nominations are today, and…I can hardly imagine the difficulty of your decision."

"I appreciate that." Bates offered a rueful grin in reply.

Matthew returned the uncertain grin, before continuing, "I don't… want to speak for the others, but…I see no reason why you'd pose any kind of threat to us. And in…the future, you'd not be our target…" Pausing, he thought briefly of Vera and her unpleasantness, before the lawyer in him added, "…specifically."

"I understand." Bates knew Matthew's meaning wasn't exactly hidden, given the way Vera had been tearing through the house.

"You have my word on that," Matthew put in. "I think that kind of fearful and distrustful environment is rather unhealthy."

Nodding, Bates appeared to be pondering his words. "I can't say I disagree."

The two men then exchanged a nod before going down to breakfast.

_Very interesting discussion with Matthew Crawley, _Bates wrote. _It makes me think about exactly the kind of people with whom I want to play this game._

Breakfast was lively, as well – at least for those who were present.

"I haven't eaten this well since I left Ireland," Branson commented.

Bates turned to him, realizing they'd not had a proper conversation. "Do you miss home?" he asked Branson.

Branson shrugged. "Not when I'm eating like this."

Both Sybil and William laughed across the table. Vera shot Bates a glare, before continuing with her own meal.

Matthew looked round the table, his brow furrowing. "Where's Lavinia?"

"She wasn't feeling up to breakfast," was Mary's off-handed reply.

"Well, did someone have a tray sent up?"

"She said she wasn't hungry," Mary said, firmly.

The two locked eyes across the table, before Mary was the first to look away.

Bates took this opportunity to address the group. "I just want you all to know that…I will give this decision today the consideration it deserves, and I hold no resentment toward any of you."

All of the housemates offered some form of acknowledging nod or smile, with the exception of Richard, who went back to eating almost immediately. Anna gazed happily, while Vera glared angrily at Bates.

_Interesting little comment, Batesy, _Vera wrote. _But whether you'll actually follow through with it is quite another story._

She turned to address him, but he'd left the table before she could get a word in edgewise.

* * *

It wasn't any easier waiting for nominations the second time – all of them in that cramped sitting room while Bates was in the diary room.

Richard looked almost bored with the proceedings.

_Such a blasted waste of time, waiting for these things, _Richard paused in his writing just long enough to roll his eyes. _Why do they make us all gather here, when that woman can be heard in every room of the house?_

Anna appeared slightly anxious, her eyes fixed on the doorway.

Yet her script was confident: _I know Mr. Bates will do the right thing. There's absolutely no need to nominate Lady Mary – not when there are much bigger targets in the house._

On the other side of the room, Mary sat with a seemingly recovered Lavinia. Attendance at the nomination proceedings was required, after all.

_I couldn't even begin to say who's going to be nominated, _Mary wrote, with a shrug. _For all I know, it could be someone totally unexpected – as it was several days ago._

Finally, Bates returned to the room and took his seat.

"Housemates…" O'Brien's familiar voice was almost comforting. She had spoken a lot less to them in the past couple days – especially since they hadn't broken so many house rules that required reprimanding. "There are two people nominated for eviction. They are…

…Lavinia Swire and Richard Carlisle."

An audible gasp went up around the room, as most housemates turned their gazes to Lavinia – who sat stock still, almost as if she'd not even heard the nominations.

_It's not that I'm in a rage or a fury to be nominated. _Lavinia suddenly put down her pen, as her eyes filled with tears. _It just makes me think of my daddy, and the world I left behind to be here._

"I just want to say one thing—" Bates began.

"The house leader is not permitted to speak to the housemates during nominations." O'Brien now sounded particularly cross. "Voting will occur tomorrow at the usual time."

Realizing they'd been dismissed, the mostly shocked housemates began filing out of the sitting room. Lavinia headed immediately for the stairs and Mary, after a brief encouraging look from Matthew, rolled her eyes and followed the girl.

"I'm so sorry." A regretful Bates soon joined Matthew at the base of the stairway. "I tried to be as fair as I could," Bates tried to explain. "But I…" He lowered his voice, "…had to do this in order to…protect certain others."

"No, I…I understand." Matthew glanced as the two women disappeared at the top of the stairs. "Plus, she's much likely to go home against Richard than…" Hesitating a moment, he finished uneasily, "…others would be."

Just then, Mary came back downstairs, causing Bates to quickly make himself scarce.

"Is she alright?" Matthew wanted to know.

"She'll be fine," Mary said, perfunctorily.

"You don't sound too concerned." Matthew gave her a skeptical look.

"Why should I be? She's young, she's overwhelmed and she probably shouldn't be here in the first place."

For a moment, he seemed to be at a loss for words. Then he lowered his voice, leaning in slightly so as not to be heard. "I've just spoken with Bates. You know he implied he put her up to save _you_."

Her eyebrows raised in temporary surprise, before she adopted a look of feigned annoyance. "Better not let Richard see you talking to Bates…"

Frowning, Matthew glanced round the room. "Where is Richard anyway? I haven't seen him since nominations."

"Probably trying to save his own neck," Mary replied with a shrug, before leaving the room.

* * *

_Well, that's more like it, _Richard confided to his diary. _Now the game really begins._

He'd seated himself in the dining room, his mind racing with all sorts of scenarios. He had Mary and Matthew's vote, and Mary could likely persuade Sybil and Anna to vote with her. Edith was likely to vote against Mary's interest, while Vera was too much of a wildcard to even risk approaching.

Richard glanced at Branson and William, who were seated across from him at the table. If he could shore them up, then his safety would be assured.

"It occurs to me the two of us have something in common," Richard began, addressing Branson.

_Oh, now he wants to speak to me, does he? When he actually needs something? _Branson chuckled, as he wrote.

Branson's smile was genial, with the hint of a suppressed laugh. "We do, do we?"

Richard nodded, leaning back in his chair. "We've both traveled considerable distances to be here."

The smile seemed to remain fixed on Branson's face as he replied, "I wasn't aware London was a considerable distance."

With a conciliatory, almost modest smile, Richard bowed his head. "No, I was speaking of our humble origins. You see, my parents were from Scotland – our family was quite poor when we came here. I got where I am in this world through hard work and determination."

"Yes, you seem to have done quite well for yourself," Branson replied after a moment.

"Indeed I have," Richard allowed. "So I know what it's like to fight for everything I've got." He paused a moment, weighing his next words before ultimately deciding to take the risk: "It's a quality I value in all my employees…especially those who might ever want to leave service."

In spite of himself, Branson's eyes grew larger, and he blinked several times before tentatively responding: "Do journalists usually have a say in hiring?"

"Well…I suppose there's only one way to find out, isn't there?" Richard rejoined, cryptically. He then nodded to William. "The same offer applies to you, of course."

"Me…sir?" William's voice was barely above a whisper.

Unfortunately, it was not so quiet as to escape O'Brien's notice: "Housemates address each other by first and surname only."

"I never forget those who come to my aid…" His gaze moved back to Branson, before settling on William once more, his words hardening as his tactic changed: "Nor do I forget those who don't." His expression turned cordial once more as he rose from his chair. "Think about it. Both of you," he said before leaving.

William looked almost scared as he glanced over at Branson. "He sounds quite serious."

_I do think it would be wise to stay on Richard Carlisle's good side, if I know what's good for me. _William's pen shook slightly.

Before Branson could answer, Sybil had reentered the room and both men stood up automatically.

"How many times have I told you not to bother with that?" Sybil said, with a dismissive wave of her hand. "We're all equal in this game."

"Equality doesn't mean a lack of respect," Branson remarked. "My mother didn't raise me to be a fool."

Sybil's smile was genuine. "Then your mother raised you very well, I'd say." Her cheeks colored slightly as she cleared her throat and changed the subject. "What did Richard Carlisle want?"

Smirking, Branson replied, "What do you think?"

"I hope you didn't let him bully you," Sybil said, frowning. "He's got no right to make you feel like less of a person, not in this house."

"On the contrary," Branson replied. "He implied our…cooperation might be beneficial towards…future employment."

"Future employment?" Sybil repeated, frowning.

Branson nodded. "It's something worth considering, I suppose – but I wasn't about to give him a definitive answer. As you said, we're all equal in this house." With a smile, he added, "And he's the one who needs something from _me_."

_Tom really must have stood up to Richard Carlisle, _Sybil penned, happily. _He's clearly a man of strong character. I'm not sure I've ever met anyone like him._

Sybil laughed, and the two exchanged a grin.

_Forget becoming a journalist, _Branson wrote. _If all goes well, perhaps I'll want to make inquiries someplace a bit more local for my future employment._

* * *

Bates had been unable to find Vera anywhere – or any of her usual spots, anyway. He didn't regret his decision not to put up Mary, to do what his conscience had told him was right. But it didn't mean he wasn't regretting perhaps having to pay for it later.

As he entered the sitting room, he noticed Lavinia seated in one of the chairs, seeming to be staring determinedly at the wall.

"Lavinia Swire, isn't it?" he asked, hesitantly.

She smiled in acknowledgment.

"Would you mind if I…" He indicated a seat on the settee, a safe distance from her.

"Not at all."

Taking a seat, Bates folded his hands on his lap. "I realize we hadn't got much of a chance to speak, but…" He shrugged. "I wanted to assure you that you are not my…focus this week."

Lavinia glanced down at her own hands. "Well, I suppose I'm sorry to hear that."

This took Bates slightly by surprise. "What do you mean you're sorry?"

With a smile, she informed him, "When I was leaving after nominations, I heard what you said…to Matthew."

Bates looked suddenly uncomfortable. "But that was—"

"No, you misunderstand me," Lavinia said, gently. "In fact I'm grateful, because hearing that gave me a second chance to be quite sure that I wanted to be here…" Shrugging, her smile only broadened. "And the truth is, I'm not sure that I do."

"I don't understand," Bates said, bewildered.

"I don't want to be protected or need protecting. I don't want to make any deals." Her voice grew firmer in its conviction. "I just want to go home to my dad and go back to being an ordinary person."

"…Lavinia?"

Bates looked towards the doorway where Matthew was standing uneasily.

She gave him a warm smile. "Matthew – please come in." Matthew exchanged a brief look with Bates, who gave an imperceptible nod. He then took a seat opposite the two of them.

"I was just telling John that…I think it'd be best if I went home this week," she continued.

Matthew looked almost hurt. "What? But…surely you can speak to people. These are good people – I'm certain they'll want you to stay over Richard Carlisle."

"But I don't want that," Lavinia said, calmly. "If I can help someone who wants to be here…who…_others_ want to be here more than me…" Matthew licked his lips uncomfortably before she finished, "then please let me do that instead."

"But you going home wouldn't help anyone!" Matthew insisted.

Lavinia gave him a knowing look. "Wouldn't it?" she asked, softly. "I think it's fairly obvious who among those nominated can offer better protection to those…vulnerable in this game."

_Of course I'm doing this for my own good, _Lavinia wrote carefully. _But if you want her protected, Matthew – then you want Richard Carlisle, not me._

Matthew shook his head. "I won't do it," he declared. "It's not right."

"Well, you must do what you think is right, of course," Lavinia assured him. "But I must do what I think is best." She turned now to Bates. "I hope you will respect my wishes. Both of you."

_I don't understand what Lavinia is doing, _Matthew protested to his diary. _Of course I'd rather play with her than Richard Carlisle. I can only pray others will feel the same._

_On one hand, I certainly don't want to disrespect anyone's wishes, _Bates wrote. _But on the other hand, is it wise to leave a threat like Richard Carlisle inside the house?_

Bates and Matthew looked at each other, but neither said a word.

* * *

_Day Five_

"Housemates, Lady Grantham is listening to you live. Please do not curse."

O'Brien's voice broke the uneasy silence that had settled over the sitting room.

"Richard Carlisle and Lavinia Swire, the voting is closed. The votes have been counted and verified and I can now reveal that by a vote of 6-2, the second person to be evicted from Lady Grantham's big brother's house is…

…Lavinia Swire."

Richard's face showed relieved smugness, while Matthew looked down at his hands and Lavinia just sighed happily. She met Bates' eyes across the room, and nodded. Bates, seeing she was pleased, nodded back.

"Lavinia Swire, you must say your goodbyes promptly – else I come to get you," O'Brien warned.

Rising from her place on the settee, all the men in the room stood up as she offered her final proclamation: "May the best person win. That's all I want. Goodbye to all of you."

She shook hands briefly with Mary and Sybil, and offered a hand to Bates, who shook it as well. Matthew held her hand briefly in his as she pulled hers away.

Then she was gone.

Nobody spoke after that. Richard caught the eyes of Branson and William, both of whom looked away uncomfortably.

_Richard Carlisle's threats had nothing to do with me voting for him, _Branson insisted to his diary. _I just thought it'd be better not to end up on his bad side. Yet._

_Well, of course I'm still here, _Richard wrote, smugly. _But there were two votes against me, and I __**will**__ find out who they were._

Edith was sat perfectly still in her chair, seeming utterly confused.

_I don't understand why Lavinia went home, _Edith penned, with a furrowing of her brow. _Don't they all see how Richard and Mary are running this house? Why does Mary always get everything she wants?_

Matthew still looked upset, his eyes fixed on the doorway where Lavinia had left. His focus did not go unnoticed by Mary.

_I did what I thought was right, _Matthew almost scribbled, with a hint of defiance. _And I won't be made to apologize for it – to anyone._

"Housemates, if you will adjourn to the task room, where you will compete to determine the new house leader," O'Brien reminded them, as they all rose from their seats at her instruction.

_It is imperative that someone from our alliance finally win house leader, _Mary wrote, carefully. _Is a few days of being relatively safe really too much to ask?_

* * *

"Congratulations, Vera Bates, you are the new house leader." O'Brien's voice held a distinct tinge of amusement as the other housemates filed out of the task room in a mixture of shock and irritation.

Mary stormed out of the task room after Vera left triumphantly, with Edith watching amusedly behind her. Vera turned round, and she and Edith shared a spontaneous smile.

Bates followed after them, shaking his head.

_I fear my influence on Vera has waned considerably, since I didn't do as she wanted last week, _Bates opined, with a sad tap of his pen_._

Vera caught up with him, briefly touching his arm. "Third time's the charm," she promised, as Bates just shook his head.

Her writing practically dripped with maniacal glee:_ Come now, Batesy - I've found a far more significant threat than Mary Crawley…_

Anna then walked past the two of them, and Vera's grin only broadened.


	4. Day Five cont, Day Six & Day Seven

_A/N: Thank you so very much for your wonderful reviews! I'm having so much fun writing this fic, and I'm so thrilled you're enjoying it!_

_Thanks to OrangeShipper for clarifying a key detail._

_Also shouting out Dan – my favorite Big Brother player ever, whose deal with Frank last night was one for the ages._

* * *

_Day Five (cont)_

Vera sat in front of the chess set.

It had appeared that morning after the voting, but everyone had been too distracted to notice.

"What exactly are we meant to do?" Mary had lamented, when they were all simply sitting around, waiting. "Surely we cannot play games all day."

"Apparently some of us can," Edith had shot back, and Mary had simply rolled her eyes in response.

Yet now here was a chess set in the sitting room. Vera studied its pieces carefully. She'd never cared much for chess, but right now the appearance of the chess set was a fascinating coincidence indeed.

After all, she was once again Queen.

The very best way to render the King vulnerable was always to take out _his_ Queen. Only one piece could get to the King, of course – but plenty of people could attack him.

"Oh, I'm sorry – I do hope I wasn't interrupting." Edith offered a small smile.

At first, Vera was irritated at being interrupted. But then she brightened.

_If the King has surrounded himself with allies, _Vera pondered to her diary, _then so must the other side – in order to increase the chances of a successful attack. _

"Yes, what is it?" Vera said, as sweetly as she could manage.

"Are you going to nominate Mary?"

"Housemates are not permitted to discuss nominations." O'Brien's voice made them both jump.

Vera put her finger to her lips with a glare. "I've bigger fish to fry than your sister this week." She lowered her voice. "But if you help me, well…" Her lips twisted up into a slight smile. "Perhaps I might consider returning the favor."

Edith didn't know Vera that well, but anyone who wanted Mary out of the house couldn't be that bad. "Would you really?" she wondered, cautiously.

Smiling, Vera continued, "Of course, if it somehow got out that I was working with you, well…that would be very unfortunate…" Her smile suddenly faded. "…For _you_."

Slightly taken aback, Edith nodded. "Quite so."

The smile returned as Vera continued. "We're going to need a few more people if this is to work. Do you think you can manage that?"

"Of course," Edith agreed. "I…think I might know who could help us."

"Splendid." Vera's eyes turned toward the door, as if it was a hint.

"Right. Well, I'll…be off, then," Edith said, awkwardly, leaving Vera to her chess set.

_I feel as though I've made some kind of deal with the Devil, _she confessed to her diary. _But if it will help rid the house of the biggest Devil of all, I can't be too fussed about it._

* * *

"What are the chances that no one from our side would win house leader three consecutive times?" Mary lamented. "Let alone that Vera Bates would win it twice?"

Richard snorted, his eyes on the window.

"It's a tricky game," he commented, seeming deep in thought. "The worst possible scenario: a house leader who's proven herself utterly incapable of rational thought. Any attempt to approach her, and she's likely to fly off the handle and then we're both of us up on the block."

"Or Matthew," Mary pointed out.

Richard seemed to ignore her last comment. "We need to shift the target away from us. Difficult when the house leader won't listen to reason, but it can be done."

Mary seemed intrigued. "And how would _we _manage that, exactly?"

He gave her a look, raising his eyebrows. "You just leave that to me. But you must know – it won't be pretty."

"Is it ever?"

The two shared a conspiratorial smile.

___I'm not sure what Richard is up to, but I must admit I'm intrigued. I'll do anything if it helps keep our alliance off the block, _Mary wrote.

"We'll know more after nominations," Richard continued. "But if Vera's madness has some method to it…we'll have to do whatever it takes to save ourselves."

Mary nodded. "Whatever it takes," she repeated, with a firm resolve.

* * *

Edith wandered into the sitting room, where Matthew was now staring at the chessboard. He stood up when he saw her, and she offered a friendly smile.

"Do you play?" she asked, seating herself in a chair opposite him.

"Yes, but…I'm not very good at it, " he confessed. "I don't like to attack, and as a result, I'm generally ambushed. I never see it coming."

For a moment, Edith was silent, as if thinking this over. "Did you ever consider…changing your strategy? That perhaps if you…tried something different, you might achieve…better results?"

At this, Matthew laughed briefly. "This is the only way I know how to play. I'm simply…bad at chess, I'm afraid."

"But what if…" Edith ventured, lowering her voice, "It's not you that's bad – it's simply…those with whom you're playing." Pausing for a moment, she added, "Like what happened to Lavinia."

Now Matthew looked directly at her, his brow furrowed in consternation. "Lavinia wanted to go home."

"But she didn't deserve to, did she?" Edith pressed him. When he didn't respond, Edith continued, gaining confidence. "I think we could both agree some of us are more…deserving to be here than others."

"Yes…quite…" was all Matthew could say in response, before hastily rising from his chair. "Well, then I…think perhaps I'll get something to eat. What do you say?" Desperately, he tried to keep his voice as even as possible – to not sound like he was fighting an urge to bolt out of the room.

Out of the corner of her eye, Edith saw Vera lurking outside the door. "No…no, that's quite alright. Go on. Perhaps we can…speak more later?" She offered an encouraging smile for Vera's benefit.

Staring at his diary for a very long time, Matthew finally picked up his pen: _I'm not entirely sure, but I think Edith was trying to get me to vote with her. Either that or she wants to go courting. I do hope it's not that._

_I think that went quite well, _was Edith's optimistic scribbling. _Perhaps Matthew could never be persuaded to vote out Mary, but if she's not Vera's target…why wouldn't he vote with us?_

Once Matthew had left, Vera crept back into the room – her eyes constantly darting round, as if she was being watched.

"Well?" she asked, in a harsh whisper.

Edith shrugged. "I'm not sure. As long as it's not _Mary_," she spit out the name like it was some kind of curse, "I think he might be open to the idea."

Vera nodded. "I suppose it's a start," she allowed – annoyed at her new protégé for not securing a firm commitment as requested.

"There is still the question of…the second person." Edith certainly didn't want to antagonize the woman, but it seemed that planning ahead was not among her best qualities.

There was silence for a moment, before Vera's focus turned back to the chessboard. "Kings, Queens, Bishops, Rooks…they're all protected. They can't be exposed until someone engages the row of pieces in front of them…"

"Pawns," Edith supplied – almost as if it was a question.

A slow smile spread across Vera's face as she considered her next move. "And why would anyone take out a pawn…when you could take out a Queen?"

* * *

_Day Six_

The breakfast before nominations was particularly quiet that morning. Vera of course was going to do whatever she damn well pleased. Unfortunately, nobody quite knew exactly what that was.

Anna was seated next to Bates, as usual – and was a bit unnerved by the fact that Vera was refusing to make eye contact.

With a smile, Anna then turned her attention across the table, where Mary happened to look up – the two women sharing a subtle nod.

_I know I can count on Mr. Bates, and I'd like to think I have Lady Mary's support. _Anna's script was impeccable. _I'm going to need all the friends I can get._

At the other end of the table, Edith kept trying to catch Matthew's eye. They were seated next to each other, but always seemed to be looking in opposite directions.

"So, have you given it any more thought?" Edith asked, under her breath.

Matthew seemed confused. "I'm…sorry?"

"What we spoke of…last night?" she reminded him – feeling Vera's gaze beating down upon her.

"Oh." He paused, as if seriously considering the question. "Not really, I'm afraid."

"Careful, Edith," warned Mary from across the table. "I don't think Matthew has any interest in your secret alliance."

Edith glared back at Mary in frustration. "What makes you think we have a secret alliance?" she shot back, trying to sound as affronted as possible.

"I _know _you don't." Mary sounded almost smug. "Because Matthew is not nearly that stupid."

Both Richard and Matthew smiled at that, though Matthew did his best to look at least somewhat chastened when Edith looked at him. Vera had gone back to angrily eating – furious to be working with such an incompetent ally.

* * *

Vera walked back into the sitting room, her head held high – refusing to look at anyone, not even her husband.

_Check_, was Vera's simple entry.

"Housemates…"

Those assembled practically jumped at the sound of O'Brien's voice.

"There are two people nominated for eviction. They are…"

Mary's fingers unconsciously gripped the arms of her chair, Richard sat forward a bit in his and Anna held her breath.

…William Mason and Anna Smith."

By now, the housemates were used to unpredictable nominations – given what had transpired a mere few days ago, but it was still a shock.

William turned even more pale than usual, and kept his head down as if he was ashamed.

_I can't think of what I've done to Vera Bates, _William penned, sadly. _But I'm sure I must've done something. Look at what happened to Thomas._

Anna exchanged a look with Bates before rising from her chair. She spared a glance in Vera's direction, but unsurprisingly the other woman did not return it.

_I wish I could say I was surprised. _Anna was circumspect about the whole matter to her diary. _But I suppose it just speaks to the type of person Vera Bates is._

Edith looked entirely too pleased with the results.

_I have nothing against Anna, of course, _Edith wrote. _But she's always been closer to Mary than to me, so I can't help but see this as a good thing. And William wouldn't hurt a fly._

As everyone continued to file out of the sitting room, Mary caught Richard's eye, nodding her head toward the task room.

"I'm afraid I must ask you for that favor," Mary told him as soon as they were assured of privacy.

He raised his eyebrows. "But neither of us are nominated. What's the point?" Then his eyes narrowed. "And why should you care so much about Anna Smith anyway? You realize she's on the other side."

Mary hesitated, before reiterating, "Perhaps she is, but…she's helped us before. She might help us again in the future."

"You mean she might help _you_," he corrected, leaning in slightly. "Anna Smith will never work with me. So, I suppose the question is…would you rather work with her?" The implication went unspoken.

Still, Mary didn't back down. "As far as I'm aware, I'm only working with two people," she stated, coldly. "I'm asking you to do this…as a favor to me."

For a moment, Richard was silent. "What I have planned is quite risky – and there's a chance it might not work."

Mary's gaze never faltered. "That's a chance I'm willing to take."

Richard sighed in assent. "Very well." Then he peered out the door to make sure his departure went unnoticed.

_Well now, Mary Crawley needs a favor. _Richard scrawled. _Perhaps she can do one for me as well - by proving where her true loyalties lie._

A few people were still milling about the sitting room. William hadn't moved from his place on the chair, while Anna and Bates were talking quietly in the corner of the room.

Leaning over William, almost in a whisper, Richard commented, "Look at them."

William started in his seat, looking up to see Richard almost looming over him. He followed the man's gaze to where Anna and Bates were speaking together.

"Strange for Vera Bates to have nominated her when she's so well-liked. You don't suppose there was another reason behind it?"

"Another reason?" William repeated, his eyes still on the couple.

Richard smiled. "Think about it," he said, before straightening and leaving the room.

_Anna wouldn't carry on with a married man with his wife in the house, _William wrote, uncertainly. _No, of course she wouldn't. Anna and Bates are good people…aren't they?_

When Mary finally left the task room herself, William was staring at Anna, almost open-mouthed – yet every time she looked over, he'd look away.

Such a peculiar fellow, Mary thought as she headed upstairs.

* * *

The dinner was Richard's idea. When he'd realized he could request things (as long as they weren't books, newspapers or cigarettes), he'd asked O'Brien if all remaining housemates might have an elegant dinner to celebrate a week of being in the house.

O'Brien, of course, interpreted his request as intended: "All housemates will be called to dinner at the appointed time. Failure to attend could result in the removal of certain privileges."

They always ate together at breakfast, but dinner was quite another matter. Mary and Edith looked mightily uncomfortable – since the servants obviously couldn't dress for the occasion.

Though they weren't nearly as uncomfortable as William, who indeed kept peering over at Anna and Bates and then looking back down at his plate.

"William?" Anna asked, kindly – when she noticed his intermittent staring. "Is everything alright?"

He looked down at his plate. "Of course it is," he mumbled.

"Is something bothering you?" Bates wondered.

"It's nothing," William said, hastily.

Sybil smiled, taking pity on him. "It's alright, William. I don't think it's been easy for any of us, being all together like this."

"No…quite…" William kept his eyes on his plate.

Richard took this opportunity to put down his cutlery. "I think I may know what might be troubling the lad," he said, in what seemed an understanding tone. "It's what we discussed this afternoon, isn't it?"

William's eyes shot up to meet Richard's, widening in alarm. "What? No—no, of course not…"

"Whatever it was, it's clearly upset you," Sybil said, kindly.

"You don't need to be afraid, William. You've got friends here." Branson spoke up.

"Of course you do," Anna added. "But we can't help you unless you tell us what's wrong."

William held Anna's gaze for a moment – so concerned, so kind. Surely, it was impossible...wasn't it?

"Only that…" he began, softly. "You and Bates…you're just friends, aren't you?"

"What?"

"Well, there's nothing else, is there – you're not…I mean, with Vera Bates here and everything…" At the mention of her name, Vera's eyes turned to him.

"Of course not!" Bates protested. "Is that what you think?"

"No…I, I…" William glanced at Richard, who had gone back to eating.

Sybil frowned. "William, that's so unkind. You don't tell lies about people like that."

"Well, who's to say whether it's a lie or not?"

All eyes now turned to Richard, who shrugged. "Well, there's no way to prove it, is there?"

"It's not true," Bates said, firmly.

Again, Richard shrugged. "If you say so." Mary stared at him, trying to remain calm.

Anna's eyes still shone with shock. "William, I don't understand why you couldn't have mentioned this in private."

"Well, I…" William began. "I didn't…"

"It's not his fault!" Edith suddenly spoke up – realizing how the attention was being deflected. "If Anna and Bates are doing something untoward—"

"Which we're not!" Anna insisted.

"…Then I can see why it bothered him," Edith finished.

"Oh yes, because you're such an arbiter of moral judgment," Mary snapped.

Matthew attempted to hold up his hand. "I really don't think—"

"No," Mary interjected. "Anna's character is unimpeachable. We'll not discuss this any further."

Sybil nodded. "I agree. Let's go back to enjoying our dinner."

Needless to say, nobody did.

* * *

"What on earth was that?"

Richard turned to see Mary waiting at the top of the stairs for him.

_I really don't understand what Richard is playing at. _Mary wrote, furiously._ As if creating a scandal will help anyone!_

He merely shrugged. "That was me saving Anna Smith."

"By slandering her?" Mary protested. "By creating some…unsubstantiated rumor and letting it run rampant?"

At this, Richard laughed. "You said it yourself – Anna's character is unimpeachable. But Vera was quite clever in putting up someone else who was rather likable. I simply made him…less likable."

Mary could only stare in horrified shock. "But you've…destroyed her reputation—"

"I wasn't aware a housemaid _had_ a reputation." He practically leaned against the wall as he spoke. "Besides, a scandal is only a scandal for the person the public _doesn't_ believe."

Mary briefly put a hand to her head, trying to reign in her exasperation. "This better work," she said, quietly.

"Oh, it will," he assured her. "I know how the public thinks. She'll be quite safe when the votes are read."

_Of course it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if Anna went home, _Richard mused to his diary. _After all, the public can also be quite fickle._

They stared at each other, as if in a standoff of some kind – before Mary retired to her room for the evening. She wished she'd had a chance to speak to Anna by herself. All she could do now was put their fate in Richard's hands and hope for the best.

* * *

_Day Seven_

Edith went down to breakfast like a woman on a mission. Richard might have helped draw attention away from Anna, but that didn't mean she couldn't make some last minute pleas with those who might be susceptible to changing their vote.

She sat herself beside Sybil, nearer to Branson – though Matthew was still seated at her other side, opposite Richard and Mary. Vera was at the end of the table, and kept glaring at her – as if this whole business was somehow her fault.

"I really don't think William meant anything by what he said last night." Edith commented.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Anna and Bates flinch.

"Not if it was the truth," Vera now put in. "There's no law against telling the truth."

"Please, let's not get into this again!" Sybil pleaded.

"I agree – can we just enjoy our breakfast in peace?" Branson wanted to know.

Edith frowned, as she looked round the table. She had to at least try to sway someone else. "This is a _game_!" Edith exclaimed. "For heaven's sake, you're not voting for who you like the most – you're voting for who you want out of the house, so you don't have to compete against them!"

Sybil then turned on her sister. "We can vote how we like – for whoever we like, for whatever reason we want!" She then directed her next comment to the table. "Otherwise, why vote at all?"

That seemed to silence the table – though Vera shot Anna a particularly nasty look.

Vera's pen practically jabbed through the paper._ Never send a pawn to do a Queen's job, especially when it involves taking out another Queen. Well...lesson learned._

* * *

Voting was the most relaxed it had been in a while, as after the previous night, there was little doubt as to how most everyone was voting.

"Housemates, Lady Grantham is listening to you live. Please do not curse," O'Brien reminded them.

"William Mason and Anna Smith, the voting is closed. The votes have been counted and verified and I can now reveal that by a vote of 4-3, the third person to be evicted from Lady Grantham's big brother's house is…

William Mason."

Anna couldn't help herself. "Three," she breathed.

"No talking," O'Brien warned, as William had started to get up from his chair. "William Mason, you must say your goodbyes promptly – else I come to get you." There seemed to be a tinge of sympathy coloring O'Brien's words now. William was a good lad. Probably best that he was out now.

"Thank you for this opportunity," William mumbled, looking at the floor as he spoke. Anna and Bates rose to shake his hand, as did Branson and Sybil.

Mary caught Anna's eye, looking utterly confused.

_How on earth did Anna get three votes? _Mary wondered to her diary. _I can think of no one but Edith who would've voted against her._

_I suppose all that matters is that I'm still here, _Anna penned, carefully. _But I apparently have fewer allies than I thought._

As usual, Edith looked particularly shocked.

_We were one vote away. One vote! _Edith sighed, as she tapped her pen thoughtfully. _But it proves there are more people on our side than perhaps are willing to admit it._

O'Brien interrupted them: "Housemates, if you will adjourn to the task room, where you will compete to determine the new house leader."

As they were walking, Anna caught Mary's eye. "Three votes," she mouthed.

Mary nodded. "Edith," she mouthed back.

"Who else?"

Matthew then walked by. "You?" Mary demanded, her eyes flashing.

But he shook his head so emphatically that somehow she believed him.

* * *

"Congratulations, Richard Carlisle, you are the new house leader," O'Brien announced, as the victor emerged triumphantly from the task room.

Of course, Mary couldn't have looked more pleased.

_Finally, someone from our side is the house leader, _Mary wrote. _Now perhaps we can start getting rid of the troublemakers in this house._

Matthew did his best to look somewhat excited.

_With Richard Carlisle as the house leader, the war between the classes is sure to start up again, _Matthew rolled his eyes as his pen moved across the paper. _I quite liked it when we were all at least pretending to be friends._

"Quickly – before anyone notices," Mary cautioned, attempting to usher Richard and Matthew up the stairs for an alliance meeting.

Richard peered over at his alliance.

_As house leader, I look forward to solidifying the allegiance of my allies. _Richard grinned as he continued to write: _Why else would I have voted to evict Anna Smith?_


	5. Day Seven cont, Day Eight & Day Nine

_A/N: Thank you so much for your support with this fic! I know it's not an S3 trailer, but I hope you enjoy this chapter anyway!_

* * *

_Day Seven cont._

Mary led Richard and Matthew into one of the upstairs morning rooms before closing the door.

"I'd say the highest priority is to get rid of all the troublemakers in the house. They're sure to come after us," Mary said.

_We'll not get rid of the biggest troublemaker of all if the house leader isn't allowed to self-nominate, _Matthew wrote, with a smirk.

Richard's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure that's the most prudent course of action." At this, Matthew frowned, but Richard continued. "What about getting rid of a particularly likable player with multiple allies, who might target us in the future?"

Now Mary sighed in exasperation. "That sounds an excellent way to make unnecessary enemies."

"Well, as long as they're from the other side, isn't that right?"

Matthew voiced his opinion, and the other two turned toward him – almost having forgotten he was in the room.

Shrugging, Matthew continued, "That is our goal, isn't it? Eliminating everyone from the _other side_."

At this, Richard looked particularly amused, raising his eyebrows incredulously. "That _should_ be our goal," he said, smoothly. "But it seems some of us…have difficulty remembering that."

Taking a step closer, Matthew's gaze never faltered. "I'd urge you to speak plainly."

"Matthew!" Mary cried in exasperation.

Richard waved her off. "Did you or did you not cast a vote against me when Lavinia and I were nominated?"

There was silence for a moment, broken only by Mary's laughter. "Don't be ridiculous – it was Edith and Vera who voted against you!"

"Was it?" Richard kept his eyes on Matthew, who swallowed uncomfortably, but did not back down.

Finally, Matthew drew in a breath. "Yes, I…voted to keep Lavinia."

"What do you mean?" Mary asked over Richard's triumphant smirk.

"I believed it the right thing to do," Matthew explained, a little too calmly. "And I…" He paused, trying to gather his courage, "I…don't like the way you're dividing the house by class."

"I'm not _dividing_ anything that hasn't previously been divided."

Now it was Matthew's turn to smirk. "Is that so?" He paused for a moment, weighing his words. "I had a conversation with John Bates when he was house leader. We spoke directly and honestly, and I did it without trying to gather information."

Richard looked skeptical, turning to Mary. "Did you know about this?"

"I approached him without telling anyone," Matthew put in. Technically, he wasn't lying – he'd only told Mary about speaking to Bates after the fact.

Rolling his eyes, Richard appeared almost bored by the situation. "So, you want out of this alliance – is that it?"

Matthew practically scoffed. "If merely holding a conversation with the _other side_ is some sort of unforgivable sin, then by all means – put me up."

"Oh, Matthew – you exaggerate!" Mary shook her head in disbelief.

"It was his suggestion, not mine," Richard said, innocently.

Mary's gaze now turned to him. "Richard, he did a nice thing for a sweet girl – he knew you had the votes to stay. It was only a…" She searched for the word, "…gesture."

"Indeed it was," Richard remarked, coldly.

Her eyes traveled back and forth between the two men, who both looked ready to come to blows. "I think all of us need some time to ourselves," she suggested. "We've a long couple days ahead of us."

For a moment, Matthew didn't move. Then finally, he blinked. "Yes, alright. We'll speak more afterwards."

_If Matthew Crawley voted against me before, it's all but certain he'll do it again. _Richard paused, as if considering his options. _What I need is a way to cement both his and Mary's loyalties, and sever all their ties to the other side._

"Well…this is most unexpected."

Richard turned to see the saccharine smile of Vera Bates gleaming at him from the doorway.

"What do you want?" he asked, warily.

Brazenly, she waltzed into the room. "The same thing as you," she said, cryptically. "I know you don't like me. Quite frankly, I don't like you. But I think our interests are more closely aligned than you realize."

Half the time, he really couldn't tell whether Vera Bates was lucid or not, but he had to admit he was intrigued. "Go on."

Vera smiled, happy to be given leave to continue. "I've been house leader twice, and made the same mistake both times. Each time, I've tried to _weaken_ an opponent. When really the only thing to do…" Her hand clenched into a fist, "is _crush _him."

"I assume you're referring to your husband."

"He's no good to me now that he's been blinded by that Anna Smith," she almost snorted. "But no matter. Getting him out weakens her, which keeps your Mary Crawley close at hand."

Richard seemed to be considering this. "It would be a big move," he said, his eyes narrowing. "You must understand this decision would be for my own benefit. I would in _no way_ be in your debt."

Vera nodded. "Believe me, _Richard_…" Daringly, she took a step forward. "If you rid this house of my husband, it is _I_ who would be in _your _debt."

_Oh, I know you want to be King, __**Sir**__ Richard. _Vera scribbled, furiously._ Little do you realize…every King needs a Queen. And it's __**not**__ going to be Mary Crawley._

He appeared to be contemplating this for a moment, before nodding again. "Well, you've given me much to consider." Moving forward, he moved to usher her out.

Vera Bates was certainly not used to leaving a man who wasn't entirely relieved to see her go.

* * *

"But why would he come after you?" Bates quietly asked Anna as they sat down to dinner across from Sybil and Branson.

Anna shrugged, still on edge from the voting. "You should've seen his face when I went to speak to…Mary." She flinched, before adding, "I saw Vera on her way upstairs earlier – no doubt to offer him some kind of deal for my head on a platter."

"I was the one who nominated him," Bates rejoined, shaking his head. "Why would he be coming after you?"

"He wants to keep all his 'allies' under his control," Anna remarked, acidly. "Wouldn't do to have them being friendly with the _other side_."

Branson sighed, which did not go unnoticed by Sybil. "Is something wrong?" she asked, kindly. Anna and Bates also turned to look at him.

Shaking his head, Branson cracked a smile. "I was only thinking…just yesterday, we were all sitting here, having dinner together. I don't think William knew it was his last supper."

"What do you mean by that?" Anna snapped, her nerves already frayed with the day's stress. "You'd rather him than me, is that what you're saying?"

"No, of course he wasn't saying that," Bates attempted to assure her.

But Branson didn't take kindly to being challenged. "All I'm saying is I liked William. I'm just sorry he had to go home."

"Oh, you're _sorry_, are you? That's a laugh, coming from Richard Carlisle's _batman_." Anna challenged him.

"Anna!" Sybil's voice held a note of rebuke, and she was almost embarrassed – as if she was speaking to her as a servant, not a fellow housemate.

Vainly, Branson tried to keep his temper under control. "I'm sorry?"

"You heard me," Anna rejoined. "I couldn't figure out who else voted against me, but it was _you_, wasn't it? Because he _told_ you to!"

"Richard Carlisle didn't tell me _anything_," Branson protested, becoming incensed now. "Besides, how I voted is none of your affair!"

"All right." Bates' voice cut through the squabbling. He gave a self-deprecating smile as he spoke. "Look at us," he said, sadly. "We can't turn against each other – not now."

Sybil nodded. "Bates is right," she said, quietly. "We can only do what's best for ourselves, and trust that we'll all of us be friends in the end. Because this is just a game," she reminded everyone.

In an attempt to compose herself, Anna took a deep breath. "Right," she agreed. "It's just a game." She and Branson exchanged small smiles of apology.

_Richard Carlisle's batman, _Branson wrote, shaking his head in disgust. _In this game, I'm nobody's servant. And if anyone thinks otherwise, they're in for quite a shock._

_I didn't mean to speak to Tom that way – I just snapped, _Anna wrote, guiltily. _Mr. Bates was right. We can't let the game tear us all apart._

"I do miss William, as well," Bates remarked, almost as a peace offering.

And just like that, the matter was forgotten.

* * *

_Day Eight_

When Richard came downstairs for breakfast, he was surprised to find Mary waiting for him.

"I just wanted to make sure everything was alright. That our…alliance is still intact," she said.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Mary seemed to visibly relax. "So, it's settled then. We go after those who are coming after us."

"That's the plan," Richard said.

Again, Mary smiled. "Well then…" She glanced down the corridor, making sure nobody had seen them, before she went in to breakfast.

_Such a relief to know this business between Richard and Matthew has resolved itself. _Mary gave a relieved sigh as she wrote. _Now we can get back to ridding the house of Edith and Vera._

Matthew was the only one in the dining room. She chose a seat across from him, as always.

"He's not going to put you up," Mary said. "I've smoothed things over, though I can't think why you antagonized him."

Matthew smirked. "Because I spoke to the _other side_?"

Mary paused for a moment. "You...didn't mention that I knew you'd spoken to Bates."

He shrugged. "I thought you had enough to worry about…with your own dealings on the _other side_."

She was about to say something else, when the rest of the housemates began to file in to the room for breakfast. Richard sat down next to Mary, and Edith chose a seat beside Matthew.

Only once did Mary look up to find Matthew looking at her, exchanging small smiles as if they were secrets.

* * *

As they were walking in to nominations, Anna found herself in step with Mary. "Am I alright?" she asked, under her breath.

Mary nodded. "Edith and Vera. I'm sure of it," she whispered back.

Nodding again in acknowledgment, they parted ways as they all adjourned to the sitting room to await nominations.

Bates tried to help Anna remain calm.

_Anna must know she has friends in this house, _Bates mused to his diary. _And we'll all of us be there for her._

Matthew also couldn't quite keep still – each passing minute only adding to his anxiety.

_Of course I wouldn't be surprised to be nominated. _Matthew's pen moved determinedly across the paper. _Richard Carlisle will do as he likes, and there's nothing to be done about it. _

Edith kept glancing over at Vera, who was decidedly avoiding her eyes.

_I haven't been able to speak with Vera all day, _Edith wrote, worriedly. _I do hope everything's alright._

At long last, Richard re-entered the room, and a hush fell over the housemates.

"Housemates," boomed O'Brien. "There are two housemates nominated for eviction. They are…

John Bates and Edith Crawley."

Mary's shocked eyes flew first to Anna – then to Richard, who merely raised his eyebrows in return. Edith looked almost stricken, while Bates simply looked at the floor and smiled to himself – as if he should've guessed this was coming.

Vera was the only one who seemed to be grinning.

_Poor Batesy, _Vera cackled to her diary. _When will you learn you don't __**ever**__ cross me?_

* * *

"Bates!" Matthew called down the corridor after the man.

Again, Bates could only smile ruefully to himself, shaking his head as he turned round. "What do you want?"

"I just…wanted to say I'm sorry," Matthew ventured, uneasily.

Bates gave him a curt nod. "Yes, well…I suppose I should've expected it. After all, I nominated him."

"But it shouldn't be an eye for an eye." Matthew lowered his voice. "He was supposed to nominate Vera…nobody else knew he was planning this."

Now Bates merely gave him a look. "Perhaps he didn't tell you outright, but you cannot say you didn't suspect it." Shrugging, Bates continued, "You should know by now that's how he plays the game."

"But I…" Matthew stopped himself before he could say anything further.

_It's not how __**I**__ want to play the game, _Matthew confessed to his diary. _But I don't want to, I can't abandon— my alliance._

Bates smiled. "It's alright. You must do what you think is best."

Before Matthew could respond, Bates had disappeared back down the corridor – leaving Matthew to stare open-mouthed at him afterwards.

"And you wonder why I'm upset, when Vera obviously got to you!" A familiar voice sounded from what sounded like the direction of the task room, and Matthew immediately took off in that direction.

The door was partially open, but he pushed in anyway. "Mary! Are you alright?"

Mary was in the corner of the room, arms folded – fuming at Richard.

"Did you not want your sister nominated?" Richard asked.

With a withering look, Mary remarked, "I want to know why the plan was changed without informing us."

"Because that was _your_ plan, not mine," Richard reminded her. "Bates has come after me once. And if that mousy Lavinia hadn't sacrificed herself, I might've been the one going home."

"That's a different conversation," Matthew tried to redirect their attention. "Richard obviously nominated Bates for the same reason as Vera put William up last week. A…nicer choice to ensure the true target goes home."

"Perhaps." Richard remained silent for a moment. "Or it's an opportunity to rid this house of a true threat – to split up a definitive pair, and simultaneously weaken the other side."

"Edith has what can only be described as a vendetta against Mary," Matthew pointed out. "She will do everything in her power to get Mary out, while Bates will surely go after Vera. Isn't that what we want?"

Richard seemed to consider this a moment. "Why would we want to go after Vera? With Bates gone, she will devote her every waking hour to getting Anna out next. If she lasts long enough to make that happen, we can take her out afterwards."

"Afterwards," Mary repeated. "So, Anna and Bates are to be sacrificed in favor of Vera – who's come after me once before."

"I think we'd rather she work with us than against us," Richard mused. Then, seeing Mary was upset, he attempted to placate her. "The important thing is with four of us, _we _control the votes. _We _decide who goes home."

"_We_ pick off the _other side_," Matthew added, sarcastically.

Richard nodded. "Of course, anyone would believe this to be a sound plan…unless their loyalties lay somewhere other than this alliance."

Mary's laughter was bitter. "I'm not quite sure how _any_ plan involving Vera Bates is a _sound_ plan."

"It's not an ideal solution," Richard agreed. "But we have no other choice."

"No." Her stare was cold as she leveled it at him. "I suppose _we_ don't."

_I'll not do that to Anna. Not after all she's done. _Mary bit her lip, sighing as she continued to write. _But Richard is right: what choice do I have?_

* * *

_Day Nine_

_I don't know what happened, _Matthew scribbled, as if in a daze. _I don't even remember what I said._

"I want to work with you."

Bates turned round on the stairs to see Matthew behind him. They hadn't spoken since the previous afternoon, so he wasn't sure whether he'd heard him properly.

Matthew took another step down so they were both on the same step. "I want to work with you and Anna. If I'm to have an alliance, I want it to be with people I trust. And I think..." He paused, weighing his next words. "I think Mary may feel the same way."

"I don't see Mary Crawley abandoning Richard Carlisle." Bates was incredulous.

Nodding, Matthew remarked, "Not if I ask her to do it, she won't. But perhaps...if it came from Anna, she might be more...agreeable?"

"I'd have to speak with Anna first," Bates said.

"Of course," Matthew agreed. The two men exchanged a nod, as Matthew continued past him down the stairs.

Meanwhile, Edith sat despondently at breakfast. She'd been able to speak to no one the previous day. Even Vera had abandoned her.

_Once again, Mary has everyone and I have no one. It's so unfair, _Edith wrote, despondently.

"Hello, Edith."

She was surprised to see Sybil taking the seat next to her. Sybil had always been the nicer of her sisters, even if oftentimes Edith found her quite useless.

"I wanted to see if you were alright. I'm sure these last couple days have been rather difficult." Sybil looked at her sister with concern.

"That's one way of putting it," Edith snapped, not really in the mood for sympathy at this point.

Sybil was used to this kind of treatment from her sister and only offered her a smile in return. "I just want you to know you have my support. You're my sister. I could never vote against you."

"Even though the whole house will be?" Edith wondered, sniffing quietly.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Sybil remarked. "From what I hear, Richard Carlisle wants to get Bates out, not you."

"Really?" For the first time in a while, Edith smiled.

Her sister nodded. "So, cheer up – you're not close to being beaten yet!"

They quieted down, however, when Anna and Bates sat down near them.

After a few moments, Bates leaned over and whispered, "I think Matthew Crawley wants to work with us. He wants you to bring in Mary Crawley."

"What?" Anna said, louder than she probably should have, before lowering her voice once more. "But they have an...existing alliance, don't they?"

Bates shrugged. "I only spoke to him briefly, but he seemed sincere."

Anna couldn't help but laugh. "This is mad – me and you, working with the two of them! I don't know if…she'll agree, though."

Bates smiled. "Wouldn't _you_ rather work with us than him?"

* * *

Mary hadn't felt much like breakfast, and was on her way to the sitting room when she spied Anna motioning to her in the corridor.

She glanced around, to make sure she wasn't being watched, and headed toward Anna. "What is it?" she whispered.

Smiling, Anna led Mary into the task room, where she saw Matthew and Bates. Anna seemed to be beaming, and she couldn't possibly imagine why.

"What's this?" Mary asked, cautiously.

Tentatively, Matthew spoke up. "It's your…new alliance, if you'll have us. Remember that Richard said four people could run this house. Well…why not _this_ four?"

"We've looked out for each other's interests in the past," Bates pointed out. "Perhaps…we could do so in the future."

"_We_ control the vote." Matthew repeated Richard's words from the previous night. "_We _decide who goes home."

"What do you say?" Anna asked, trying to control her enthusiasm.

Mary was overwhelmed. It was so unusual – an alliance with servants. She was a bit uneasy to make an enemy of Richard – though she supposed he couldn't play for house leader for a few days.

But she'd always liked Anna, and Bates seemed a decent fellow. Even Matthew was alright – certainly more tolerable in this game than he'd been otherwise.

"I'd say…" Mary began, uneasily. "We would have joined the other side."

* * *

"Housemates, Lady Grantham is listening to you live. Please do not curse."

Mary looked like she wanted to break that particular rule just now, but instead she merely kept a tight grip upon her chair.

"John Bates and Edith Crawley, the voting is closed. The votes have been counted and verified and I can now reveal that by a vote of 4-2, the fourth person to be evicted from Lady Grantham's big brother's house is…

Edith Crawley."

In an instant, Edith's face had gone from expectant to disappointed, and she stood almost reluctantly. She shook Matthew's proffered hand, and accepted a half-embrace from Sybil. Turning back, she glared at Mary – who simply avoided her eyes, before she stalked out the door.

Richard also hadn't stopped staring at Mary – for a much different reason.

_So, you've both crossed the Rubicon, _Richard wrote, furiously. _Well, yo__u may think I lack power, but what I do have is information. And one should never underestimate the value of that._

Sybil glanced over at Branson, who merely shrugged.

_I'm very sorry I had to evict Sybil's sister, _Branson mused to his diary. _But I was done doing Richard Carlisle's bidding. I'm nobody's batman._

Anna was also glancing over at Mary, trying to offer what she hoped was an encouraging smile.

_There was nothing so different about this vote – Lady Mary and Mr. Crawley have voted with us before, _Anna happily informed her diary. _I suppose it was our new alliance that made it different, though._

"Housemates, if you will adjourn to the task room where you will compete to become the new house leader."

Mary refused to look at anyone as all the housemates filed out of the room, her eyes glued to the floor in front of her.

_I just hope I haven't made a terrible mistake. _Mary's pen couldn't stop shaking. _Perhaps I can speak to Richard privately – it would be good to maintain a relationship with him. He might be able to help me in the future._

* * *

"Congratulations, Matthew Crawley – you are the new house leader." O'Brien sounded a touch annoyed – as if Matthew Crawley hadn't had everything else handed to him recently.

Anna and Bates were trying to keep their distance, so as not to make their alliance too obvious – but neither could stop smiling.

_Anna and I form a new alliance with Lady Mary and Mr. Crawley, and then he wins house leader. _Bates grinned as he wrote. _Perhaps things are looking up for me after all._

For his part, Matthew looked modestly pleased, though being the center of attention still wasn't a role with which he was exactly comfortable.

_Finally, a chance to be a force for good in this house, _Matthew penned, excitedly. _To interact with people based on mutual trust and respect rather than fear and intimidation._

He looked over at Mary, who met his gaze with a brief smile, before looking away again, where she happened to lock eyes with a clearly excited Anna.

Anna's smile dimmed when she saw Mary's apprehension. That is until Mary favored her with a sly grin of her own.

"The other side?" Anna mouthed.

"The other side," Mary mouthed back.


	6. Day Nine cont, Day 10 & Day 11

_A/N: We're almost halfway to the end! Many grateful thanks to all who have reviewed!_

* * *

_Day Nine cont_

"I've a question."

Everyone who was still filing out of the task room after the house leader competition turned. Richard didn't appear to be addressing anyone.

After a moment, O'Brien's voice came through the grate: "Go on….sir."

Making sure he now had everyone's attention, Richard ventured, "Who decides the winner of this game?"

There was a distinct pause, and Richard wasn't even sure if his question had been heard. He was about to repeat it when another distinct voice came loudly through the grate.

"The winner of my big brother's game is decided by the last seven evicted housemates, beginning with the one leaving most recently. These seven will cast a vote for the winner between the final two housemates who remain." There was a muffled sound before they heard, "Really, how exactly does one supposed to speak into this infernal contraption—"

Then there was silence.

_Just as I suspected, _Richard penned, gleefully. _Suddenly those of us who haven't been so nice are looking a lot less appealing as targets._

Most of the housemates, however, were puzzled.

"What does that mean?" Branson wanted to know.

"It means that if you're interested in votes, you should have someone unlikable along with you at the end," Mary said, her head still spinning.

"So, if you're a nice person…you're a threat to get votes," Sybil concluded, looking concerned.

Matthew seemed particularly agitated at this conversation. "I don't think that's the only way the game can be played."

"No, but it's the only way to win," Branson concluded, gloomily.

"And that is the goal," Mary remarked, her voice sounding very far away. "Winning."

_I really was quite happy with my new alliance, _Mary wrote, miserably. _But I'm not sure aligning with three extremely likable people is the best thing for me._

Happily, she spotted Sybil seated at the table, and went to join her sister.

"How are you, darling?" Mary asked, her eyes darting round the room in case Branson showed up. He and her sister appeared to be joined at the hip these days.

Sybil offered her a smile. "I'm alright, I think. Sad about Edith." She laughed nervously. "I should probably be more nervous that she's going to be voting the winner. As should you be."

Mary only offered a half-smile in return.

Now Sybil's smile faded. "I know that's what you're thinking now."

"I can't think what you mean."

"Come on," Sybil encouraged. "For what it's worth, Mary – I'm glad you're not spending so much time with that Richard Carlisle. I'm certain he was behind that…business with Anna and Bates, and William at dinner. You're better than that – and better than him."

Shaking her head, Mary reached out to pat her sister's hand. "You're a darling," she remarked as she rose from her chair.

_I wish Mary wasn't so focused on winning, _Sybil mused to her diary. _Then she might not be so unhappy all the time._

Branson came in after Mary left, and Sybil offered him a smile. "What did your sister want?" he asked.

Sybil shrugged. "She thinks too much about the game. It's not good for her." She paused for a moment, before admitting, "Though you do realize we're going to be bigger targets now with these new rules."

"We'll only be targets for those who want to win at all costs," Branson reminded her.

Smiling, Sybil turned towards him. "And what about you?" she asked. "What if you were house leader? Would that be your strategy?"

Branson grinned. "I wouldn't nominate you, if that's what you're asking."

"I most certainly was not!" Sybil admonished, trying to hide her slight blush.

Leaning back in his chair, Branson sighed. "It's just a game. Nothing we say or do here impacts what happens once we leave this house."

"But you still want to win," Sybil pressed him.

He just smiled. "Don't you?"

* * *

It wasn't exactly a _secret _alliance, but Matthew still thought it best to be as subtle about it as possible. They had agreed to meet in the task room, generally before meals – as it was easier to avoid arousing suspicion in that sense.

Whereas everyone knew he, Mary and Richard had been aligned, he wished to keep this new alliance a bit quieter. Fortunately, Anna and Bates were rather quiet themselves.

Though neither was nearly as quiet as Mary was.

"I don't think I need to speak about our biggest targets," Matthew explained. "We can't waste this opportunity. The one that survives will be in a much weaker position."

"And if they're working together, nominating them both will force them to turn on each other," Bates pointed out.

Anna nodded. "I think that makes the most sense. And if the other one wins house leader in a few days, we'll all of us be working against them."

"Mary, what do you think?" Matthew asked a clearly distracted Mary, who appeared to be gazing out the door, not really listening to the conversation.

Mary shrugged. "Oh…yes. Quite right."

"So, it's alright if I nominate you—"

"Housemates are not permitted to discuss nominations," O'Brien interjected.

"Yes, I know! I was merely trying to see if you were paying attention." Matthew spoke half to the grate in the wall and half to Mary herself.

Mary glared at him. "I think it's rather obvious who you're going to nominate. I don't see any reason to discuss it further. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get luncheon."

Matthew could only stare after her, and with a quick glance back at Anna and Bates, followed her outside.

"Mary!" he whispered sharply to her retreating back.

She turned round, looking particularly irritated. "What is it _now_?"

He stood his ground, albeit uneasily. "If you have a problem, I want to know. This alliance isn't a dictatorship." At this, she rolled her eyes again, before he reiterated quietly, "Please, I want to _know_."

Mary was uncertain for a moment, weighing up her options, before she finally relented. "Very well. I don't think we should go after Richard." She continued, despite Matthew's exaggerated sigh. "I know you don't like him personally, but he's protected both Anna and me. I don't think it's right."

"Alright," he said, slowly. "What would be your suggestion?"

This seemed to startle Mary, and she was silent for a moment. "Someone a bit more likable…like Branson, for example."

"Branson?" Matthew repeated – as if it was the furthest thing from his mind. "So, leave Vera in the house…to go after Bates and Anna? And you?"

"If Vera survives, as you said, she'll have the entire house against her," Mary stated.

"The entire house…except for Richard. And they can _both_ compete for house leader in a couple days."

Mary shrugged. "Perhaps Richard might be…persuaded to change his mind."

All at once, it became so clear. Matthew laughed in almost disbelief. "I don't want anyone in this alliance who doesn't want to be here. If that's what you want, then please…"

"Oh, Matthew – you always make everything so black and white! Really, you're as bad as he is." She was breathing a little harder now. "Why lose an ally simply because he doesn't fit with your little morality play?"

"Yes, why nominate someone who's been causing discord, when I could nominate someone nicer who's not done a thing to anyone?" Matthew shot back.

They stared at each other for a moment. Finally, Mary shrugged. "I suppose you must do what is best."

"As will you, I have no doubt."

Again, they held each other's gaze, before Mary turned and left the room abruptly.

_What's best for __**my**__ game – what's best for __**her**__ game. Now she's covered on all fronts, and I thought—, _Matthew wrote, furiously. He paused, before continuing to write. _Nevermind what I thought, I was wrong._

_Matthew is positively infuriating, _Mary practically scribbled in her diary. _The point is to win, not to make friends. Why else would we be here in the first place?_

* * *

As always, none of the housemates ate dinner at the same time, and when Branson wandered in for his meal, he saw Matthew – looking almost pained.

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely," Branson remarked, as he took a seat diagonally from Matthew.

Matthew looked up, offering a wan smile.

"Something troubling you?" Branson continued.

He was silent for a moment, before the temptation became too great. "What would you do…in my situation?" Matthew wanted to know.

Branson grinned. It was a popular question today. "I'd remember this isn't life and death. It's only a game."

"I know, and I…don't want to make decisions based on…personal motives," Matthew protested under his breath. "Especially when they might not _be_ the best decisions going forward."

Branson shrugged. "If it's personal, at least it's a choice you can live with – rather than a game move you might regret later." Thinking of his own voting history, he frowned. "Trust me, I know how that feels."

_I don't envy Matthew Crawley's decision, _Branson penned, thoughtfully. _But no one's integrity should be questioned based on a game move. I wouldn't wish that on anyone else._

He left Matthew to ponder his situation, wondering where Sybil had got to.

* * *

_Day Ten_

"I just want you to know there are no hard feelings, whatever happens."

Matthew turned round to see Richard in the doorway of his room.

"I understand that you made the move that most benefited you yesterday," he continued, "And to show you how much I understand, I'll give you my word that if I survive tomorrow, I won't put you up. And I won't put _her_ up."

It sounded too good to be believed and Matthew was immediately skeptical. "You…won't?" he managed.

"I'll put Sybil up."

"Sybil?" Matthew repeated, confused.

Richard nodded. "She's the nicest person in this house – hasn't done a thing to anyone. If she gets near the end, she'll win handily. Getting rid of her would be to everyone's benefit, wouldn't you say?"

Matthew knew Mary wouldn't see it that way, and moreover he knew that Richard knew Mary wouldn't see it that way.

"Good luck," Richard said, sincerely – as he left Matthew to ponder his offer.

_I don't want to see Sybil get caught in the crossfire, _Matthew wrote, unhappily. _I'm not sure what to do._

* * *

Anna and Bates got to breakfast the same time as Sybil and Branson. There was a bit of uneasiness, due to nominations – and the fact that their last meal together hadn't exactly gone well.

"Where's Matthew?" Sybil wondered, her eyes settling on Anna.

Anna blinked, unsure of what to say.

_Our alliance with Lady Mary and Mr. Crawley is private, _Anna's script was confident. _It's quite unusual, and I don't think we should go blabbing about it to everyone._

"I don't know," Anna said, with a shaky laugh. "Why'd you think we'd know?"

Sybil's brow furrowed, but Bates quickly jumped in. "I'm…sure he's busy with nominations. After all, he has…much to think about this morning."

"Are you nervous?" Sybil asked them, lowering her voice, conspiratorially.

"No one is ever completely safe until the nominations are read," Bates reminded them.

_I wish we could just tell them about our alliance, _Bates wrote. _I'm honestly not sure if they'd care or not. But better to err on the side of caution, I suppose._

"Especially now," Branson spoke up. "With people like us being seen as threats, simply because of the vote at the end."

"Quite right," Sybil agreed.

Bates attempted a smile. "People like us indeed," he mused, as he exchanged a look with Anna.

On the other side of the table, Richard merely smiled.

* * *

Nominations were more relaxed than usual. Everyone in the room appeared somewhat confident, except for Vera – who always seemed on edge.

Branson was sat, looking more or less sure of himself.

_I see no reason why Sybil or I should be in any danger, _Branson explained to his diary. _But I still hope Matthew Crawley remembers it's just a game._

Once again, Richard seemed almost amused by the process.

_No, of course I wouldn't be surprised to be nominated, _Richard penned, thoughtfully. _It would almost be a relief to know Matthew actually cares about the game and not just what one person thinks of him._

Mary was decidedly avoiding everyone's eyes.

_I really don't care who Matthew nominates. _Mary's pen shook slightly as it moved across the paper. _ It's not like I have any say over what he does._

Matthew then returned and sat down, looking unsure (though that was also his default look).

"Housemates…"

The room held its breath as O'Brien's familiar voice filled the air.

"There are two housemates nominated for eviction. They are…

Vera Bates and Richard Carlisle."

There was a pause, as if the room was exhaling – before people started rising from their chairs and leaving. Anna and Bates flashed Matthew a grateful smile, while Branson nodded to him.

Vera looked particularly irritated.

_I don't know this Matthew Crawley. I don't know what I've ever done to him. I can only assume Bates has poisoned him against me, _were Vera's paranoid scribblings.

_In the end, I did what I thought was right, _Matthew wrote. _Those are the two biggest troublemakers in the house and I can't say I'd be sorry to see either one of them leave. _

He looked over to find Mary, but she had apparently left the room. Figuring it'd be best if he did the same, he made his way to the sitting room doorway.

"Well, I do hope you're satisfied."

Matthew turned to see Mary practically glowering at him from the corner of the room. "Why wouldn't I be?" he said, trying to project confidence.

Her laugh sounded particularly harsh to his ears. "Did it ever occur to you the position you've put me in? Anna and Bates will for Vera, and Sybil and Branson will vote for Richard? So, the blood is on _my_ hands, regardless!"

That did render Matthew speechless for a moment. "I…" he began, fumbling for any kind of coherent argument, "How do you know how Sybil and Branson will vote?"

Mary rolled her eyes. "She's my sister, Matthew – of course I know. And Branson hates Richard – or have you been too wrapped up in other things to notice?"

They froze –Matthew holding his breath, as Mary's mouth dropped half-open. After a moment, he finally ventured, "I…I'm sorry if I put you in a difficult position."

Now she seemed to draw up to her full height. "Are you?" Again, she laughed. "Do you know this feels much like the same kind of test Richard gave us as house leader. Perhaps you were more suited to that alliance than you think."

Then he was the one left open-mouthed in her wake.

* * *

_I was right about this house being divided, _Richard wrote, thoughtfully. _I never anticipated Mary Crawley to be at the middle of it, but fortunately, I was prepared for this._

"…Anna?" Richard called to the maid making her way down to dinner.

She stopped, turning round with what she hoped was a tolerant smile. Richard Carlisle had always made her uncomfortable. "What do you want?"

Richard put his hands up, innocently. "I was just hoping for a chance to speak with you."

"About what?" Anna was still wary.

"Why, the vote tomorrow, of course." His smile seemed relaxed.

Her hands twisted together in front of her. "You've got nothing to worry about from me. I want nothing more than to see Vera Bates out of this house."

"Ah, yes – I have no doubt," he continued, conversationally. "But you see…a few days ago, I did you a favor. Technically, it was for Mary – but it benefited you."

Anna was slightly confused. "I'm…sorry if I never thanked you. I'm very grateful. And as I told you, I want Vera gone."

"I know _you _do." Richard took another step closer. "I just need you to ensure that _Mary_ does, as well."

"I can't…control her vote," Anna reminded him.

Richard merely laughed. "Oh no, but you wield far more power over her than you realize. You must know she trusts you – perhaps more than anyone in this house."

"Well, I'll speak to her – if that's what you want," Anna assured him, quickly. "Is that all? I'm really in a bit of a hurry."

"Not quite. _When_ I make it past this eviction, with Mary's vote…if I don't win house leader, I want your assurance that I won't be nominated."

Now Anna couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sorry…Richard, but I'm afraid you're mistaken if you think I have _that_ much power."

"Oh, I think you'll find you're more persuasive than you realize…" Richard continued. "Especially since if you don't, I'll tell Sybil and Branson about you and Bates and your _secret_ alliance with Matthew and Mary."

For a moment, Anna was stunned – though her first instinct was to laugh it off. "Secret alliance?"

Now Richard laughed. "Don't be coy, Anna – the task room before meals? You really shouldn't be so obvious…"

"You can't prove anything," Anna insisted, gathering her courage. "I…I'll just deny it."

"Of course you will," Richard said, as if he'd been expecting this. "But I doubt that your noble Bates will embrace that same duplicity."

She folded her arms across her chest. "Then what? They can't exactly put us _all_ up."

Richard shook his head. "No, of course not. It just might…give them pause if you ever made it to the end. It could…cost you a vote. But one vote isn't _that_ important, is it?" He raised his eyebrows knowingly.

Anna was so furious that she could barely speak. "You're _blackmailing_ me!" she exclaimed quietly, through gritted teeth.

Shrugging, Richard remarked, "I'm merely reminding you what information is in my power…to release or not. Now…" He indicated the corridor. "I believe you mentioned you were in a hurry?"

_What am I supposed to do? _Anna's pen shook uncharacteristically. _Do I tell Lady Mary? She might still have an alliance with him – I don't know if she'd even believe me!_

"Anna?"

Bates was at the end of the corridor. "Is everything alright?"

She only paused a moment before it all came crashing down on her. "No," she said. "No, it isn't."

* * *

_Day Eleven_

When Mary came out of her room that morning to go down to breakfast, she was so lost in her own thoughts that she almost missed Anna coming up beside her.

"I'm sorry – I didn't mean to startle you," Anna apologized. "I looked for you yesterday evening, but I couldn't find you."

Mary smiled. "I wasn't feeling up to dinner, I'm afraid." She paused when she saw the expression on Anna's face. "Anna…what is it?"

_It's not a lie, _Anna wrote shakily. _I'm just…not telling her the whole truth._

"I just…" Anna started, and found the shakiness of her voice was quite real indeed. "I know Vera will come after us if we don't vote her out. She's nominated both of us before, whereas Richard…helped us…"

"I know," Mary said, sympathetically. "And I understand."

Her smile was so gentle that Anna couldn't help but smile back. "You do?"

Mary nodded. "I wouldn't trust her in this house for one more day."

"Thank you, m—" Anna stopped herself, remembering the rule about titles. Even though at this moment, she'd never felt more like a servant, with her mistress granting her a favor. "Thank you."

"Anna," Mary called after her. "If anyone is against you, they will _never_ be on my side."

"Same for you, of course," Anna assured her, and just hoped that after today, it wasn't a lie.

* * *

"Housemates, Lady Grantham is listening to you live. Please do not curse."

O'Brien seemed to take particular joy in announcing the vote today.

"Vera Bates and Richard Carlisle, the voting is closed. The votes have been counted and verified and I can now reveal that by a vote of 3-2, the fifth person to be evicted from Lady Grantham's big brother's house is…

Vera Bates."

This was almost less of a surprise than when Lavinia was evicted. After her plan to evict Bates had fallen through, she'd concentrated her efforts more on what she would do once she was _out_ of the house.

"See you on the outside, Batesy," she promised when nobody got up to even shake her hand. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Anna. "And you too, _Anna Smith_."

With that final warning, she flounced out the door, her head still held high.

Matthew breathed a sigh of relief – happy his reign as house leader had finally come to an end.

_I can't say I'm sorry to see Vera Bates go, _Matthew wrote. _Nor can I say I'm surprised – Mary was always going to vote for her over Richard. All I can hope now is he doesn't win house leader and put Sybil up._

On the other hand, Anna, who'd been overjoyed that Vera had gone – tensed considerably when Richard met her eye and nodded.

_If I win house leader, I get Sybil out of the house. If I don't, then I won't be nominated, as long as I conceal Anna's secret alliance, _Richard penned, excitedly. _Perhaps I can finally relax for a couple days, regardless of what happens._

O'Brien's voice interrupted their musings: "Housemates, if you will adjourn to the task room where you will compete to become the new house leader."

_What must we do to rid this house of Richard Carlisle? _Branson wondered to his diary. _Maybe someone will win house leader who will finally show him the door._

He glanced at Sybil, who smiled. Somehow, the gesture felt like good luck.

* * *

"Congratulations, Sybil Crawley – you are the new house leader," O'Brien informed the assembled group.

Sybil was so excited that she could barely contain herself. "I won!" she exclaimed, happily turning to Branson – stopping short of throwing her arms around him when she felt Mary watching them both.

"Congratulations," Branson said, happily – extending a hand for her to shake instead. Beaming back at him, she gleefully took it.

"Well done, darling," Mary put in, clasping her on the shoulder.

_I've never won anything! _Sybil's writing was barely legible. _Finally, I can do what I like instead of listening to other people._

Anna and Bates exchanged a worried glance as they exited the task room, but quickly put on smiles when they passed Mary.

_Sybil is the house leader__, _Anna wrote, miserably. _I suppose these next couple days will either make my game…or destroy it completely._


	7. Day 11 cont, Day 12 & Day 13

_A/N: We've reached the halfway point and I couldn't have done it without all your support! Thank you!_

_Hope you'll stay tuned throughout the week for the last half of the game, with the finale on Saturday, the 15__th__ of September._

* * *

_Day Eleven cont_

_I still can't believe I'm the house leader! _Sybil couldn't stop expressing her joy to her diary. _I promise to use my powers wisely._

Sybil thought that being house leader was supposed to make you popular, but only Branson and Mary had stayed with her in the sitting room after the competition. Anna had flown out of the room, followed by Bates and then a little later, Matthew.

She kept glancing over to Branson, and then back to Mary. It was the longest she'd seen Mary since she'd been in the house.

"Well, I think we all know who we want to get out this week," Sybil remarked. Mary merely raised an eyebrow in return.

"I've been waiting for this moment for quite a while," Branson said.

Sybil grinned. "But we have to make sure the other person isn't upset – or isn't so nice that people might be tempted to vote them out instead."

"Quite right," Mary put in, suddenly – as if she'd joined the conversation.

_I just need to make sure Sybil uses her power as house leader wisely, _Mary explained in elegant script. _She's a darling, but she can't expected to make a rational decision with Branson in her ear like that._

Sybil thought for a moment. "Anna has been acting so strange lately, don't you agree?"

"Did you see her yesterday at breakfast?" Branson remarked, thinking for a moment. "Almost as if she was hiding something."

Mary then spoke up. "But darling, if Anna was hiding something, don't you think some people might then be tempted to vote her out?"

"Who?" Sybil turned to her sister. "Tom and Bates would keep her." Her brow furrowed. "I don't _think_ Matthew would vote to keep Richard." Then she thought for a moment. "O'Brien?"

There was a distinct pause before the voice came through the grate: "Yes, m'lady?"

"What happens if there's a tie? How do we decide who goes home?"

"In the event of a tie, the rules of Lady Grantham's big brother's house state it is the house leader who then has the deciding vote."

Sybil turned to Branson, who wore an identical grin. "Thank you, O'Brien." Her voice lowered, excitedly. "That's brilliant! Now we can be sure our target goes home, and whoever else we put up doesn't have to worry – because I get to break the tie!"

"Then why go after Anna? Why not put up someone you know will be certain to forgive you and won't go home?" Mary asked.

She was beginning to feel a bit irritated with how her sister seemed to be encroaching on her conversation, but Sybil maintained her genial smile. "I suppose you have someone in mind?"

Mary let her eyes slide discreetly over to Branson.

"I'm not nominating Tom! Are you mad? "

Rolling her eyes at Sybil's lack of discretion, Mary gave a tolerant smile back.

"Why not you?" Branson asked Mary, boldly.

"Me?" Mary repeated, appalled.

Shrugging, Branson continued, "Well, if she wanted to be certain that the other nominee would forgive her, who better than her own sister?"

Mary's eyes narrowed. "Sybil wouldn't do that – would you, darling?" she asked, turning to her sister.

Sybil didn't respond, but appeared to be thinking. "Matthew has never been nominated, has he?"

"Not Matthew. He's a decent fellow," Branson protested, remembering their prior conversation a couple nights ago.

_I feel the need to document the first time I have ever been in agreement with a chauffeur, _Mary wrote._ Otherwise, he is terribly rude and oversteps his boundaries with Sybil far too often for my liking._

Sighing, Sybil looked at her hands for a moment. "This is much more difficult than I thought it would be."

"You don't have to decide now," Branson assured her. "Nominations aren't until tomorrow."

"I quite agree," Mary said. "Don't trouble yourself with it, darling." As she rose from her chair, she shot a warning glance at Branson. "And don't let anyone else trouble you either."

As soon as she was gone, Sybil turned to him. "I can't think about this now." With a bright smile, she suggested, "Let's get some luncheon."

* * *

Anna felt wretched as she followed Bates to the task room, though only the two of them knew their secret had been discovered.

"What am I going to do?" Anna whispered. "She's not going to nominate Richard, and I certainly don't want two other people going up instead of him."

Bates nodded, understandingly. "I think there's only one thing we can do…and that's tell the truth."

"What?" She looked at him, concerned. "But we can't reveal our alliance. Who do you think they'll come after when Richard is gone – not her sister or her cousin. And we will have handed them the perfect excuse!"

He shrugged. "Better they hear it from us." Sighing, he continued, "And if it alters their opinion of us…that's something we'll have to live with."

Anna nodded, as Matthew then entered the room. "Sorry, I was…"

Of course, Anna knew she wasn't the only one who'd hoped Mary might've joined them this time.

But their anxious looks aroused some suspicion, for Matthew then asked, "What is it?"

Taking a deep breath, Anna glanced at Bates – who gave her a reassuring nod, as she spoke, "It's about Richard Carlisle…"

* * *

When all the housemates assembled for dinner – none wanted to be the one who didn't show up and become the unwitting topic of conversation – the timing seemed almost fortuitous.

They were only eating for a few moments before the discomfort became too much for Anna. "I have something to say," she announced to the table, putting down her cutlery.

"_I_ approached Anna and Bates about working together, and…we have been for the past few days," Matthew put in, with a glance over at Anna.

Branson looked taken aback. "You mean to say you three are in an alliance?" he clarified.

"No, I'm sure that's not what he meant," Sybil said.

"That's exactly what I meant," Matthew affirmed. "We wanted you to hear it from us, before you heard it…elsewhere." His gaze traveled to Richard, but said nothing.

Branson shook his head, with a bitter laugh. "So, if Sybil hadn't been the house leader, we would've been the targets."

"Of course not," Bates said. "I think we all know who's the biggest target in this house."

"But after tomorrow…" Sybil murmured, frowning. "You mean to say you'd come after us? Or Mary?"

"No, I was—" Mary started.

"I suppose that's unfortunately how an alliance works," Matthew replied.

Sybil was frowning. "I don't understand. Why tell us this _now_? Isn't the point of an alliance to keep it secret?"

"I agree." This was the first time Richard had spoken, but he nodded sagely. "This is the first I'm hearing of this."

"That's not true!" Anna blurted out, her eyes on Sybil. "_He_ was the one who told me if I didn't convince you to keep him off the block, he'd tell you about our alliance!"

Richard glanced at Sybil and Branson. "I did speculate about the _existence_ of an alliance, but I couldn't get her to confirm it. Now that we know for sure…"

"They can pick us all off, one by one," Branson finished.

Bates simply sighed. "And how would we manage that? There's four of you, and only three of us."

"I'm house leader, so I can't vote…" Sybil reminded them.

"Unless there's a tie," Richard said.

Sighing, Anna tried again: "We didn't mean to hurt anyone. We're all just playing a game here, and…we simply thought honesty was the best policy."

Branson scoffed. "And what would've happened had Richard not threatened you with exposure? Don't tell us you would've come clean then."

After a long moment, Matthew spoke. "No, I…suppose not. But if you'd like…you may put me up alongside whoever else is nominated."

"Oh, Matthew – don't be so dramatic." Mary cautioned, rolling her eyes.

_It's a good faith gesture and would help to restore any perceived violation of trust. _Matthew paused for a moment, tapping his pen. _And I think I'd rather know who my allies are, than always— wondering._

"Well, that's very generous of you, Matthew – but I'm not ready to make any decisions just yet," Sybil informed him, with a glance at Branson. "Perhaps when everyone has calmed down a bit. For now, let's all enjoy our dinner!"

"Hear hear," Branson chimed in.

As she was house leader, no one could raise an argument against that idea.

* * *

_Day Twelve_

_Nominations are today, and I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do yet, _Sybil penned, nervously. _Being house leader is more difficult than I ever imagined._

When Sybil came downstairs for breakfast, she found herself greeted in the corridor by the last person she expected.

"Bates?" she asked, confusedly.

"I'll make this brief," Bates said, softly. "I want you to put me up instead of Matthew Crawley."

Sybil's brow furrowed. "I don't understand…"

"If Matthew hadn't defected from Richard's alliance, I might not still be here. I'm very grateful to him for that. Please…" Bates looked humbly sincere.

She considered this suggestion for a moment. "There's no guarantee of safety. I can break a tie, but there's a chance you might go home. Your…competition will certainly be fighting to stay."

"That's a chance I'm willing to take," Bates assured her, as Branson rounded the corner – spotting the two who were chatting.

"You alright, Sybil?" he asked, with a hint of concern.

Bates nodded to Branson, before turning to make himself scarce. "I'll leave you two to discuss it."

Once he was out of earshot, Branson leaned in slightly. "What did he want?"

"He wants me to put him up instead of Matthew," Sybil said. "I'm not quite sure why, but he was rather insistent about it."

"Well, does that benefit you?" Branson asked.

She thought for a moment. "I don't know." Then she brightened. "Perhaps I'll know better after some breakfast. Care to join me?"

Branson only smiled in response, as the two made their way to the dining room.

* * *

Mary looked as nervous as she'd ever been during nominations – her eyes focused on the door, refusing to meet anyone's gaze.

_I do hope Sybil chooses her nominations sensibly. _Mary shook her head as she wrote. _I'd certainly never __**volunteer**__ to be nominated. One would have to be pretty __**stupid**__ to do that._

Richard gave the room an appraising glance.

_Well, this is certainly better than I expected, _Richard penned, thoughtfully. _Now that the other alliance has come to light, perhaps the target will have shifted off my back._

Branson looked a combination of nervous and excited.

_I know Sybil will do what's best for her game, _Branson confessed to his diary. _That's all I expect from these nominations._

Quietly, Sybil reentered the room, and waited for her decision to be announced.

"Housemates…" O'Brien declared. "There are two housemates nominated for eviction. They are…

John Bates and Richard Carlisle."

Matthew looked up, shocked. Bates simply nodded, while Anna looked almost stricken. Mary let out an almost audible gasp, and when other housemates glanced at her, she simply rolled her eyes and rose from her seat.

Branson glanced at Sybil, who smiled – clearly at peace with her nominations.

_I remember when Bates was house leader and that nice girl Lavinia asked to be sent home. He honored her request, _Sybil informed her diary. _I thought it only right that I honor his._

* * *

Immediately after the nominations were done, Sybil and Branson adjourned to the dining room for luncheon – only to soon be joined by Richard, as well as Mary, who didn't want them alone any longer than necessary.

"So, I'll come right to the point," Richard said, once they were all seated. "I understand why you nominated me. I know we're not exactly on the best of terms. But I think we can all help each other in this game."

Sybil and Branson exchanged a look, and Branson couldn't help but crack a smile. "Can we?" he asked, almost amused.

"If we all joined forces…a four-person alliance would give us the majority," Richard continued. "We'd decide who stays and who goes home."

Branson looked skeptical. "This coming from the person who spoke of getting all the likable people out before the end."

Richard shrugged. "Think of this as more as…an alliance of pairs." His eyes drifted to Mary, who merely raised her eyebrows. "With Bates gone, we'd have an advantage at every house leader competition."

"And if one of them won house leader?" Branson reminded him.

"It's risky, I'll grant you that," Richard replied. "And even if we had to vote out one of our own, we'd still have a numbers advantage. The odds are still in our favor that one of _us_ will win house leader the next time."

Sybil nodded, diplomatically. "It's certainly worth considering." She paused before adding, "Would you mind giving us a moment?"

"Of course." Richard rose from his chair.

After he'd gone, Sybil then turned to her sister. "Mary?" Her tone indicated she wanted her sister to leave as well.

But Mary didn't move. "I don't see why I can't stay. I won't say a word about your conversation, I promise." She gave Sybil a significant glance.

Sybil and Branson exchanged a look. "If we're to join an alliance with you and Richard, Tom and I would like to discuss it by ourselves." She gave her sister her sweetest smile. "Please, Mary? Just a couple minutes – then you can go back to _chaperoning._"

Mary's expression wavered the slightest bit, before she sighed. "Very well. Two minutes," she warned with a look back, as she exited the room.

Lowering her voice, Sybil then turned to the only alliance she'd ever known. "What do you think?"

Branson shrugged. "I certainly don't like the man, but keeping him in this house also keeps the target on his back, in case one of them becomes house leader."

"They. _Them._" Sybil sighed. "I've known Anna since I was a little girl, and Matthew's my cousin. I don't know Bates all that well, but he _volunteered_ himself for a nomination. I'm not sure if it's right to send him home because of it!"

"That's the game," Branson reminded her. "I suppose the question becomes if we can live with this decision, even if it might help us going forward."

The two stared at each other for a moment, thinking.

_I don't like Richard Carlisle, and I never have, _Branson wrote. _But he makes some valid points. Still, Sybil is the house leader, and I'll stand by her decision, whatever it is._

"I don't know," Sybil confessed. "I just don't know."

As Mary waited outside, she was greeted by a familiar voice.

"Oh…hello."

Turning, she saw Anna approaching her. Mary smiled back.

"Hello, Anna."

Anna twisted her hands together. "I always feel like I'm the one asking you for a favor…" Her chin trembled, and Mary felt her heart soften. "And I know you saved him once. But if he goes, don't you see…I have no one."

Mary was almost taken aback by Anna's words. "How can you say that? You know I'm always on your side."

"But that's just it," Anna protested. "You wouldn't, because we're the _other side_."

Mary frowned. "They wouldn't _dare_ go after you. Don't you think I'd see to that?"

At this, Anna smiled a little. "Of course you would. I'm sorry – just…please say you'll think about it."

Nodding in assent, Anna then smiled and made herself scarce.

* * *

_Day Thirteen_

Matthew knew that Sybil and Branson generally came to breakfast early, so he made certain he was downstairs before anyone – hoping to catch them alone for a moment to plead Bates' case.

So, he was rather shocked when Mary walked in soon after him.

She gave him the most peculiar stare as she brought her plate to the table and sat in her traditional spot across from him.

He nodded politely to her, but seeing as she'd spent the whole day with Richard, Sybil and Branson, it was a good indicator as to how she'd be voting.

Suddenly, he heard her cutlery clatter on her plate. "The other night at dinner…" she began, pointedly. "You left my name out of your alliance."

Matthew shrugged. "I didn't think you _wanted_ to be a part of it."

"But I _knew _about it. I voted with you," she reminded him. "You must know I'm perfectly capable of managing my own affairs."

"Yes, you've made that quite clear," he replied, his eyes still on his own plate.

"Then why do you insist on making me look better than I am?"

Her voice was louder than she intended, and he did look up – meeting her stare across the table. Her cheeks were tinted a very light pink, and he swallowed.

After a moment, he took a breath and replied simply, "Because you want to win."

Her brow furrowed, and her anger at his complacency only increased. "…Don't you?"

"Not as much as you."

She couldn't even dignify that infuriating reply with a response, as she turned her attention back to her plate, and they ate the rest of their breakfast in silence.

_Why shouldn't I keep Richard in this house? _Mary scribbled, furiously. _There's no benefit to Bates staying other than Anna asked me to keep him. I __**do**__ want to win, and I certainly won't be made to apologize for it._

* * *

Just before voting was scheduled to take place, Richard found Mary heading into the sitting room. "Have you heard from your sister?" he asked.

Mary was taken aback. "She's not in my sole care."

"So, do you think Branson will force a tie?" he pressed her.

She raised her eyebrows. "My, my – aren't we confident?"

"You know we'd make a good team, you and I – you know we could go to the end," Richard entreated her. "I think if you believed that, you'd be trying a little harder to sway Branson's opinion."

Now Mary almost laughed. "Believe me when I say this, Richard – I hold no sway over the opinion of a chauffeur."

The two of them then entered the sitting room – which completed the group.

Bates watched nervously as various housemates got up to cast their votes.

_I've put my trust in people, and I would hope to have that trust returned, _Bates penned, solemnly. _If not, I have no regrets for how I played this game. I always did what I thought was right._

Richard seemed less nervous, though he did spare a couple glances for Branson.

_It's out of my hands now, _Richard wrote. _I've pleaded my case. If these people know what's good for them, they will keep me, and if not, then this is no game I'd ever want to win._

Sybil folded her hands on her lap, trying to look calm.

_I've spoken to Tom and we've agreed on the best thing for us, _Sybil informed her diary. _I suppose I'll soon find out whether or not we were right._

"Housemates, Lady Grantham is listening to you live. Please do not curse," O'Brien felt the need to remind them.

"John Bates and Richard Carlisle, the voting is closed. The votes have been counted and verified and I can now reveal that by a vote of 4-0, the sixth person to be evicted from Lady Grantham's big brother's house is…

Richard Carlisle."

As soon as his name was announced, Richard immediately stood. "I'd like to say a few brief words before I go. First, Matthew – you are the most dangerous person in this game, because you're in love with Mary, and will take out anyone who stands in her way. But she will _never_ choose you over winning."

Matthew looked unnerved, but said nothing – not wishing to be scolded by O'Brien.

"And Mary…" Richard continued, as her eyes flickered to him. "You are the most ruthless person in this game…and you have my vote, if you make it to the end."

"Richard, please say your goodbyes promptly – else I come to get you," O'Brien warned.

Donning his hat, Richard turned and walked out the door.

The rest of the housemates avoided each other's gazes.

_Of course Richard would place an enormous target on my back as his parting gift, _Mary wrote. _But I knew Branson would never vote for him, and I was glad to help Anna. Still, I can't say I'm entirely happy to see him go._

Anna smiled at Mary, who could only give her a small smile in return.

_Mr. Bates is still here, Richard Carlsile is gone and my alliance is in tact, _Anna penned, excitedly. _ I'm not sure this day could have gone any better for me. Once again, I owe Lady Mary a great debt._

Matthew still looked as if he hadn't recovered from Richard's words.

_Mary and I have always—, _Matthew started to write, before he paused. _But I don't— I'm not— _Then he simply gave up.

"Housemates, if you will adjourn to the task room where you will compete to determine the new house leader." O'Brien's voice cut through the shocked stillness of the room, as one by one, housemates filed out.

"You're going to win it this time?" Sybil joked to Branson, trying to lighten the tension.

Branson gave her a smile. "Bet on it."

* * *

"Congratulations, Anna Smith – you are the new house leader." O'Brien sounded neither pleased nor annoyed by this turn of events. Anna was alright, though anything that kept Bates in the house wasn't exactly good news.

Anna was practically beaming with joy.

"Congratulations, Anna," Mary said, sincerely.

"Congratulations," Matthew added.

Then, as if they both realized they were in the same space at the same time, they quickly darted in opposite directions.

Sybil was less enthusiastic, though she did offer Anna a smile.

_Since I put Bates up, Tom and I are all but certain to be her nominees, _Sybil confessed to her diary. _I'll have gone from house leader to nominee in only a few days._

Branson seemed to sense the same thing she was thinking. Glancing around to make sure he was relatively unobserved, he briefly touched her elbow in a comforting gesture.

As she looked up at him, he remarked with a grin, "Now the game _really_ begins."


	8. Day 13 cont, Day 14 & Day 15

_A/N: Many thanks for all your reviews and support – I so appreciate it! It's really hotting up now, as they say (or I hope it is, anyway!)_

* * *

_Day Thirteen cont_

It wasn't as if they needed to bother with secrecy at this point, but somehow Anna, Bates and Matthew still felt the need to go through the motions of meeting in the task room.

"I suppose this is a bit of a mixed blessing," Anna started. "Being the first house leader after Richard Carlisle is evicted. I suppose we all know who our targets are – though I'm not really keen on nominating either of them."

Bates glanced briefly at Matthew before offering. "There is, of course, another option."

"No." Anna and Matthew seemed to speak simultaneously.

Anna then elaborated. "I know she's not been with us…formally – but she's saved you…twice. I'll not nominate her."

There was silence before Matthew offered, "You could…nominate me, if you like."

"Absolutely not," Anna assured him, and Bates nodded alongside her. "You've been loyal to us and this alliance even before it was formed." She sighed. "But it does leave me with little choice."

"Perhaps you might…speak to Mary if you see her," Matthew suggested. "She must assume her sister may be a target, but I think she'd much rather _know_."

Bates spoke up. "We could all be there, if you like. Just so she's aware it wasn't simply your decision."

_Both Matthew Crawley and Anna are quite attached to Lady Mary, _Bates mused to his diary. _I do hope that in time she is able to repay the kindness they both have shown her._

* * *

The mood around the table was slightly more subdued for Sybil and Branson.

"This isn't fair," Sybil lamented. "I think it's almost worse that we know of their alliance. Anna won't nominate Mary."

"Or Bates," Branson reminded her, thinking of the not entirely true story that had sent William home.

"And we really have no argument against Matthew – at least none that can't be made for us. He's one of those likable people you don't want in the end."

Branson grinned. "So, you're saying we should be more unlikable?"

"Well, it's a bit late for that."

"Indeed."

After a moment, she sighed. "I just don't want to campaign against you."

_Mary is my sister, Matthew my cousin, Anna my maid and Bates is Papa's valet. _Sybil frowned as she wrote. _It just doesn't seem fair to Tom. He doesn't know anyone!_

"Why not?" Branson wondered. "You believe in equality, don't you? That we're all equal in this house – classes and genders and everything?"

"Well, yes," she agreed, hesitantly.

He leaned forward. "Then I hope you'll campaign as hard as you can against me," he encouraged, with a wink. "Because this really is just a game. And—" he paused a moment. "If we can't survive what happens _in _this house…"

_I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for Sybil, _Branson penned, with a grin. _But— I suppose I'm foolishly hoping we'll face much greater adversity than anything that happens in this game._

Sybil's cheeks tinged pink. "Quite so," she breathed.

Holding out his hand, he remarked, "May the best man win."

"Or woman!" she added, taking his hand without a second thought.

They held the contact a fraction too long before breaking away, and returning to their luncheon.

* * *

The search for Mary ended in one of the upstairs morning rooms, where she was staring out the window, almost wistfully.

Anna, Matthew and Bates all entered hesitantly.

"Is this a bad time?" Anna asked, unable to shake the deference she still felt around Mary.

Mary looked over at them. "I'm not sure there's ever a _good_ time." Her eyes flickered to Bates, meeting Matthew's before quickly glancing back to Anna with a warmer smile. "What is it?"

"It's about…nominations," Anna began, hesitantly, and instantly Mary sat up a bit straighter.

"What Anna is saying is she does not intend to target anyone in this room," Matthew put in, his voice shaking only slightly.

Her eyes widened slightly, but her gaze remained on Anna. "I assume you're speaking of Sybil," Mary said.

"Yes, that's right," Matthew answered after it became clear Anna couldn't.

With Matthew speaking, Mary was forced to look at him. Her brow furrowed slightly, trying to hide her discomfort around him. "Well, I assume she'll not be the target."

Matthew glanced at Anna, who stammered, "I—I didn't really have a _target_ in mind…"

"Good. Then she'll be safe."

For the first time, Bates spoke. "It's the house leader's job to make nominations, but Anna has no vote. I'm not sure it's fair to task her with someone else's safety."

"I'm not _tasking_ her with anything," Mary replied, pointedly. "I simply can't think of a reason why anyone would vote out my sister over a chauffeur we'd never met."

Matthew nodded. "Of course – no…no reason at all."

_This is ridiculous, _Matthew's pen shook as he wrote. _I don't even know what I'm saying anymore. I almost wish she'd start ignoring me again._

"So…you're alright with it?" Anna wanted to know.

Mary gave her a kind smile. "Why wouldn't I be? You need two people, after all. As long as my sister stays safe."

Anna looked round to the other members of her alliance. "I think we're all in agreement."

_I was glad Lady Mary seemed to accept that I really have no choice about the nominations, _Anna wrote, with a sigh of relief. _Of course she wouldn't want Lady Sybil out of the house, and I see no reason why she should be._

"Well, then it's settled," Mary said, with a touch of finality.

As the remaining three were walking out the door, Bates murmured, "His name is Branson."

The other two stopped and looked at him.

"That's his name. Tom Branson," Bates said. "And he's no more a chauffeur in this house than I am a valet, or you are a housemaid or you are the heir to the Earl of Grantham."

With that, he walked away without another word.

* * *

_Day Fourteen_

Branson nodded to Matthew across the empty dining room table. Even though Richard was gone, and the war between the classes appeared to have left with him, the seating arrangements had remained unchanged.

The two men acknowledged each other with a friendly nod.

With a smile, Branson glanced at his plate. "I'm certainly going to miss this every morning."

Matthew smiled in response. "That's a rather grim statement, wouldn't you say?"

"On the contrary, I think it's quite realistic." Branson gave Matthew a look, with a slight laugh. "Please don't insult me. I know how nominations work."

For a moment, Matthew was silent. He liked Branson – but the man was right. Against Mary's sister, he had little chance. "Nominations are today, but the vote isn't until tomorrow," he reminded Branson.

"So it's my second to last meal as opposed to my last," Branson cracked, as Mary entered the room along with Sybil. She gave Matthew a look before sitting down with her sister.

"Don't be nervous, darling," Mary assured her. "It's only a formality."

Sybil gave her sister a look. "I'm not _nervous_," she assured her. "And I don't need your protection, Mary. I can look after myself." Her confidence was almost infectious.

_I know Mary means well, but really, I don't need to be treated like a child! Why is Tom the only one who respects me as a competitor in this game? _was Sybil's impassioned scribbling.

After a few more moments, Mary added, "Because you really shouldn't worry about anything."

Putting down her fork, Sybil looked up sharply at the wall. "O'Brien?" she asked, just as Anna and Bates had entered the room.

There was a brief pause before the answer came through the grate: "Yes, m'lady?"

"Are we or are we not prohibited from discussing nominations until after they occur?" she wanted to know, with a slight glance at Anna – who dipped her head to avoid Sybil's eyes.

"That's right, m'lady. Housemates are prohibited from discussing nominations until after the ceremony takes place this afternoon."

Sybil now wore a satisfied smirk. "Thank you, O'Brien," she said, turning to the rest of the table. "So we'll have no more talk of that. Let's just enjoy our breakfast."

"While we still can," Branson muttered, but only Matthew heard him.

* * *

"Housemates…"

O'Brien's voice snapped them all to attention as they sat in the sitting room. It had been the shortest nomination ceremony they could possibly recall – with Anna wasting little time on finalizing her decision.

"There are two housemates nominated for eviction. They are…

Tom Branson and Sybil Crawley."

Both Sybil and Branson wore variations on the same expression. Sybil's smile was gracious and demure, while Branson's was almost teasing – as if the whole thing was a joke.

"What a surprise," he murmured, rising from his chair almost immediately.

Mary glanced over at Sybil, with a knowing nod.

_Poor darling doesn't deserve to be nominated, _Mary wrote. _I'd volunteer myself if I could, though perhaps I might be far too tempting a target for certain remaining housemates._

Anna glanced at Bates, who gave her a subtle nod of support.

_The decision about who to nominate might've been easy, _Anna informed her diary. _But it didn't make it any less difficult. I like Lady Sybil and Branson, and I know how they're feeling right now, because I've been there._

Matthew got up soon after Branson and headed out of the sitting room. He'd no sooner exited the doorway, however, when he was stopped by a familiar voice:

"Why were you laughing with Branson this morning at breakfast?"

He turned to see Mary, looking as irritated with him as ever.

"I suppose he said something funny," was Matthew's pithy retort.

Mary didn't look amused. "Well, I think it's cruel to raise his hopes in such a way."

"Raise his hopes?" Matthew repeated, almost flabbergasted by her choice of words. "So we should simply shun those who are getting voted out, is that it?"

"Of course not!" Mary replied, rolling her eyes. "But why forget a relationship with him when you intend to send him out the door the very next day?"

He glanced at her in shock, sometimes forgetting how curiously unfeeling she could seem. "Perhaps that's not how some of us want to play the game."

"Oh yes, how silly of me! It's far kinder to pretend to have regard for someone than to be honest with him about where he stands!" She sighed. "Well, I suppose it doesn't really matter – as long as you're voting him out tomorrow."

"Yes, I think I made that perfectly clear," he snapped, rapidly losing patience with this conversation.

Mary gave a curt nod. "Quite so," she said, as if the subject was closed.

For once, he walked away from her. The conversation had left him rather unsettled, though he couldn't exactly explain why.

* * *

Later that night, the ladies had retired early to bed. Anna and Sybil had been worn out by the stress of the nominations, and Mary had joined them, not wanting to spend a moment in the company of Branson, Bates or most especially Matthew.

Branson was making the most of his final evening in the house. "Gentlemen, I'd like to propose a toast," he said, raising his glass of wine. "To my last night in this game. It's been a real pleasure sharing this experience."

Matthew, as always, was slightly uncomfortable with such a defeatist attitude. "I really wish you wouldn't say that," he said. "After all, the voting isn't until tomorrow."

Shrugging, Branson took a swig from his glass. "Why bother? The decision has been made..." Trailing off, he started laughing. "And…and not even by the house leader!"

"What do you mean?" Bates asked, his defensiveness of Anna coming to the fore.

"What I _mean_…" Branson informed him, "is I'm leaving because Mary Crawley wants me gone."

"She wants to protect her sister – it's…a perfectly understandable reason." The compulsion to constantly defend Mary's actions was impossible for Matthew to resist.

Branson nodded. "Oh, I can absolutely understand why Mary Crawley wants me out of the house…for many reasons." He drank another long sip of his wine, gathering his courage as he set down his glass. "What I can't quite understand is how voting me out helps _you_."

Matthew was silent, his lips rubbing together uncomfortably. "Well, I…" But he stopped.

"Oh, I understand your _reasons_," Branson assured him. "It's because it's what Mary Crawley wants. And you do whatever she says, isn't that right?"

"Not…always," Matthew protested, weakly.

"Keeping Sybil in the house helps Mary. It gives her yet _another_ ally." Branson started laughing, in spite of himself. "It's quite funny when you think about it – she's not in your alliance, and yet she's still surrounded by allies." His gaze then landed on Bates. "What about you?"

"What about me?" Bates asked.

"You're even worse than he is," Branson said. "You're voting me out because Mary Crawley told Anna it's what she wanted. You're not only basing your game around Anna, you're basing it around Mary, as well."

Bates' brow furrowed, but his tone remained even. "Of course I'll do what Anna wants. She's house leader."

For some reason, this seemed particularly funny to Branson, who threw back his head and laughed. "I don't understand either of you. I told Sybil I was going to compete against her because I _respected_ her. That all this…" he gestured, "it's just a game. It means _nothing _outside this house."

"It means nothing to you," Bates said. "But some of us…didn't come into this game as strangers. And what we do here _does_ impact our lives outside this house."

Branson shrugged before draining his glass of wine completely. "The way I see it, you have two options," he informed them. "You can view the women in this house either as competitors or in need of protection. You can keep playing their game, and ultimately turn on each other to advance them or you could form a united front and we three can be the last men standing."

Matthew glanced first at Bates, then back at Branson. "You really could live with yourself? If you were the reason Sybil left?"

Branson grinned to himself, shaking his head as he rose from his chair. "You've both met Sybil. Does she strike you as being impressed by someone who fell on his sword for her? It's just a game…gentlemen," he concluded, as he left the room.

_Well I've done all I could, _Branson informed his diary. _I don't think it's going to happen, but I'd like to think Sybil would be proud of me for making the attempt._

Silence fell over the two men who remained.

"Well, then…" Bates remarked, noncommittally.

_While I'm not sure I want to play the game exactly like Branson, _Bates wrote. _He does make a valid point. My loyalty is to Anna and my alliance, not Mary Crawley._

"Quite," Matthew replied, but said nothing more.

* * *

_Day Fifteen_

After breakfast, Sybil waited until everyone had cleared out before she leaned over to speak to Branson. "Well…today's the big day," she said.

He smiled. "Indeed."

"I know you've been planning and plotting ways to get me out," she teased him, with a smile.

"I've just been enjoying my last meal here," Branson said. "And looking forward to leaving this house, though…I do wish we could keep its rules."

She grinned. "That's right. I'll be Lady Sybil next time you see me."

"_Lady_ Sybil," he repeated, his tone a mix of reverence and disappointment.

"Housemates will address each other by first name and surname only." O'Brien interrupted the moment.

With an exasperated sigh, Sybil turned her eyes to the wall grate. "Oh, for heaven's sake, O'Brien!"

O'Brien was unrepentant: "I don't make the rules…m'lady."

"M'lady," Branson mouthed, and Sybil grinned before he added, "So…there might be a next time then?"

"Perhaps," Sybil allowed. "Our current chauffeur Taylor is terribly old. I've heard Mama complain about him several times."

_That's the first time I've even thought of Mama since I've been in this house, _Sybil wrote, tapping her pen as if she was deep in thought. _I suppose I miss her. Papa too._

"Is that so…" It was both a question and a statement.

"Quite so," she informed him, as they exchanged small smiles.

* * *

"So it's settled, then?" Mary asked in a harsh whisper.

Matthew had just finished breakfast and was on his way out of the dining room when Mary's voice stopped him yet again.

He smiled to himself as he turned round. "May I ask you a question?"

For a moment, she looked uncertain – but it was just as quickly covered with an expression of disinterest. "Of course," she said, not quite able to mask her hesitation.

"Would you ever speak to me if it _wasn't_ about my vote?"

Now she looked taken aback. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Would you _ever_…" He took a step closer to her, "speak to_ me…" _His voice lowered further, "if it _wasn't_ about my vote?" He held her gaze, pleading with her.

Her eyes widened slightly, before she took a step back – her brow furrowing. "I…think that question is rather inappropriate. We're here to play a game – that's all," Mary informed him, firmly.

Smiling again, he agreed with her: "Quite right."

She seemed to sigh in relief. "So, it's settled then."

"Yes," he said, simply.

His answer secure, she walked away from him, and once more, he smiled sadly to himself.

* * *

Everyone seemed unusually calm during the vote this time. Rarely had there been such an open dialogue between the housemates about the intended target and the desired outcome.

Sybil looked the most upset, glancing over at Branson before quickly looking away.

_Of course I couldn't bring myself to compete against Tom, _Sybil confessed to her diary. _But I have every hope that I will see him again outside this house. And this time, there won't be a thing Mary can do about it._

Mary glanced over at Branson, with a raise of her eyebrow.

_Everyone thinks I want Branson out for game reasons, _Mary wrote. _But he's far too close to Sybil, and she's not thinking clearly around him. I will be glad to see him go for that reason most of all._

Branson looked very much at peace as he waited.

_I hope that Sybil goes on to win house leader and takes them all down, one by one, _Branson smiled as he wrote. _It's been an honor to compete against her._

"Housemates, Lady Grantham is listening to you live. Please do not curse." O'Brien sounded particularly strident this time.

"Tom Branson and Sybil Crawley, the voting is closed. The votes have been counted and verified, and I can now reveal that by a vote of 2-1, the seventh person to be evicted from Lady Grantham's big brother's house is…

Sybil Crawley."

A gasp went up from the housemates. Sybil looked shocked, as Mary reached over to grasp her hand – confusion and disbelief in her eyes. Anna looked similarly surprised.

Matthew and Bates both kept their eyes on the floor.

"Sybil Crawley, you must say your goodbyes promptly – else I come to get you," O'Brien reminded her.

"Right," Sybil said, standing up, smoothing out her skirt. "It was a pleasure to play this game with you all. I can't wait to vote for the winner."

Everyone rose as she shook hands with the rest of the housemates, gave Mary a brief hug before coming to Branson.

He stared at her, almost uncertainly – before her face split into a wide grin. "Well done, Tom," she said, softly – extending her hand. When he took it, she pulled him into a brief embrace – over Mary's horrified gasp. "Well done indeed."

Then she turned and waving to everyone, made her way out the door.

Mary sat stone-faced, as her shock faded into disbelief. She turned toward Matthew, who for once was not looking back at her.

_I did what I thought was right, _Matthew penned, defiantly. _I wanted to prove I'm still capable of thinking for myself in this game – no matter how— dire the consequences._

Bates looked at Anna, who still looked completely stunned and tried to offer a reassuring smile.

_In the end, I decided I wanted to play for me and Anna, _Bates wrote. _Mary Crawley is not in my alliance, nor was her sister. I cannot feel guilty about the decision I made._

"Housemates, if you will adjourn to the task room where you will compete to determine the new house leader," O'Brien informed them.

One by one, the housemates rose to move to the task room. The men went first, followed by the women. Mary looked as if she'd rather not compete at all.

* * *

"Congratulations, John Bates – you are the new house leader." O'Brien failed to suppress the tinge of annoyance in her announcement.

Anna was the first to congratulate him, followed by Matthew and Branson.

_I'm still here, _Branson marveled to his diary. _I've a new alliance and new life in this game. Sybil, I'm playing for you now – I'm playing for __**us**__._

Bates accepted congratulations from each, though his mind was racing.

_Do Matthew and I stick with Anna or do I go with Branson, as we discussed last night? _Bates explained to his diary. _I suppose the real question is did Matthew actually break with Mary with this vote, and could I convince him to vote her out?_

Mary was the last to leave the task room, almost in a daze.

_Matthew voted out Sybil, no doubt to punish me, _Mary's pen shook as she wrote._ Sybil darling, I'm so sorry. Though I'd never vote for you, I was clearly the one that sent you home._

It struck her as she watched them that all of them had formal alliances – multiple alliances, in some cases.

For the first time in this game, Mary felt truly alone.


	9. Day 15 cont, Day 16 & Day 17

_A/N: Coming down the home stretch…thank you so much for all your support!_

* * *

_Day Fifteen cont_

Anna found Mary in the corridor, almost in a daze.

"Did you know about this?" For once, Mary didn't sound accusatory – just confused and uncertain.

Shaking her head, Anna replied, "They didn't tell me either."

"Both of them…" Mary pressed a hand to her forehead, before she took a breath – attempting to remain calm. "So, they're with _him_ now, is that it?"

"I don't know," Anna answered, honestly. "I saw Bates briefly, but I wanted to find you. Make sure you were alright."

At this expression of concern, Mary smiled. "Thank you, Anna." Sighing, she glanced back down the corridor. "Do you think Bates would tell you…had anything changed?"

"Well, that's the question, isn't it?" She paused for a moment, before wondering, "Would…Matthew tell you?"

Rolling her eyes, Mary gave her a look. "He's not _that_ good a liar." Then remembering their earlier conversation, she almost laughed. "Though he did tell me everything was settled. I suppose for him, it was."

"There has to be some sort of explanation," Anna tried lamely to reassure her.

Mary laughed. "Of course. It means they're coming after me next."

"You don't know that," Anna insisted.

"Oh come now, Anna – I'm obviously going up. Even you can't deny that."

None of this was helping either of them. "Let me speak to him. If I hear anything, I promise you I'll tell you."

"I'm not sure that's a promise you can keep," Mary cautioned her.

Anna smiled back at her. "'Course it is." With one last look, she then headed down the corridor to meet Bates.

_If I trust anyone in this game, I trust Anna, _Mary wrote. _And if anyone could work a miracle and keep the target off my back, it's her._

"What happened?" Anna wanted to know.

Bates sighed. "Branson proposed the idea of getting rid of Sybil to weaken Mary."

"I see." Anna 's tone dripped with cold incredulity. "And you didn't think to share this with me?"

"I didn't think it would actually happen," Bates said. "I voted against Sybil, to send a message to her sister that she couldn't simply dictate the vote – but I _never_ thought Matthew would do it."

There was silence for a moment.

"So that's it?" Anna asked. "One vote to send a message, but that's all of it."

Bates paused before hesitantly offering, "Well, that…depends on Matthew."

Shaking her head, Anna folded her arms across her chest. "And then what? You come after me next?"

"No, of course not," Bates said. "But you cannot pretend she's looking out for our best interests."

"_Our_ interests?" Anna repeated back, almost dumbfounded. "She's looked out for _your_ interests, though, hasn't she? She's voted to save you twice, and it was her vote that sent Vera packing."

Bates looked almost in a daze. "Anna, I didn't mean—"

"Well, why are you wasting your time speaking to me? It's Matthew you need to convince," Anna reminded him, swallowing her tears. "Just…leave me be! How's that for _sending a message_?"

Storming down the corridor, she left Bates in silence.

* * *

Branson found Matthew sitting in the dining room, and the two men nodded to each other as Branson took a seat across from him.

"I don't suppose…" Branson wondered, cautiously, "that you've any intention of going forward with what we discussed last night."

Running a hand over his face, Matthew sighed. "Not unless you can convince Bates to nominate Anna or…get him to nominate me."

Branson raised his eyebrows. It was a thought that had never occurred to him. "That'd be mighty decent of you – offering yourself up in her place."

_I like Matthew – I don't want to play on his guilt, _Branson penned, thoughtfully. _But I have no other choice. It's either him or me in this game, and I have to take my shots where I can._

"Of course, I always take the chance she might cast a vote against me out of spite," Matthew mused. Then his brow furrowed. "But why would you want to go against me when Bates might actually want to get rid of her?"

Branson shrugged. "There was only one lady I wanted to compete against, and now she's gone." He paused, choosing his next words carefully. "If it's you and me…it's a more _honorable_ competition, wouldn't you say?"

Matthew sat back in his chair, thinking. "I'm not sure what I gain from all this, except risking the chance of going home and seeing her follow me out the door?"

"If she thinks she's going up, and you go up in her place…" Branson paused, letting the words sink in. "Well, that's saying something to her, isn't it?"

_Of course it's a stupid, ridiculous plan, _Matthew wrote. _But I know Bates doesn't trust Mary, and if he could convince Anna, then there'd be nothing I could do. At least this way, I can do __**something.**_

"Of course, Bates won't agree to this without your full support," Branson informed him. "Can I…assure him that won't be a problem?"

Matthew rubbed his lips together, hesitating for only a moment before letting out a breath. "No," he said. "No, I don't think it will be a problem."

* * *

_Day Sixteen_

Bates was up early that morning – the pressure of nominations weighing on his mind. He had tried unsuccessfully throughout the evening to speak to Anna again, but she had gone up early, and was clearly in no mood to speak to him.

_I hadn't anticipated Anna would be this upset. _Sighing, Bates continued to write. _But I __**have**__ to nominate Mary Crawley – there's simply no other way around it. I don't know what I can do to prove to Anna I'm still on her side in all this._

"Couldn't sleep either, eh?"

Turning, Bates saw Branson seated at the dining room. It almost looked as if he'd slept there, though Bates knew that was ridiculous.

"Does anyone ever sleep well the day of nominations?" Bates wondered, as he slowly entered the dining room.

Branson nodded. "Let's get this out of the way – I know I'm going up, and I understand, alright? No hard feelings."

Bates said nothing – knowing they weren't permitted to discuss it.

"You helped me stay in this house and I appreciate it," Branson informed him. "In return, I'm going to give you some advice." Branson paused, before casually suggesting, "Leave Mary Crawley off the block."

"I beg your pardon?" Bates' brow furrowed. "And who exactly do you propose I put up instead?"

Now Branson grinned. "Why, Matthew Crawley, of course."

Bates put on a particularly tolerant expression, if only to humor the man. "And why would I put up a trusted ally – who could be an ally of yours, mind – over someone who has no interest in seeing anyone advance in this game except herself?"

"Well, it's quite simple, really," Branson explained, folding his hands on the table. "It restores the goodwill of your primary alliance – who I reckon wasn't too pleased about you voting out Sybil."

For a moment, Bates said nothing, before venturing, "I don't see Matthew Crawley having too much goodwill towards me if I do this to him."

"Ah, that's where you'd be wrong," Branson informed him. "I spoke to him last night. If you think Anna is cut up about Mary's sister leaving, I'm sure you can imagine how much it's weighing on Matthew."

That was something Bates could actually believe, but he didn't want to admit that aloud. "Why do you want to go up against Matthew instead of Mary?"

"Playing the odds." Branson shrugged. "If I'm against Mary, then Matthew's vote is a known commodity, and I've lost the game before I've begun. This at least gives me a fighting chance."

Bates nodded. "Well, I promise to think upon it carefully. I admit, it's an…intriguing proposition."

Branson grinned. "Just trying to make it through one more vote – you know how it is."

"I do indeed," Bates said, as Anna walked in to the dining room.

When she saw Bates and Branson there together, however, she rolled her eyes in an almost Mary-like fashion before walking out.

"Anna…" Bates called, but she didn't respond.

Matthew walked in soon after, and nodded to Bates. "Do it," he mouthed to the house leader.

Bates' gaze shifted from Matthew back to Anna, who still wasn't looking at him.

* * *

Matthew found Branson as he was walking in to the sitting room for nominations. "Did you speak to Bates?" Matthew asked in a harsh whisper.

Branson nodded. "I told him what you told me."

"Quite right."

Mary found Anna seated on the settee and took a seat beside her. "What did Bates say?" Mary asked.

One look from Anna seemed to say everything. "Well, this morning, I saw him speaking with Branson. I think he's in with him now."

"Then it's you and me until the end," Mary vowed under her breath, with a sharp nod.

Anna grinned. "Til the end."

Both women avoided the eyes of Matthew and Branson, who walked in and took a seat while they waited for Bates to emerge from the diary room.

_Of course I expect to be nominated, _Mary wrote, furiously. _It makes no difference that I've twice voted to keep Bates in this house. He feels I have undue influence on Anna, and therefore he wants me gone._

Matthew fidgeted in his chair as he waited.

_Bates will do what he thinks is right, _Matthew explained to his diary. _I can only hope that means he will honor my wishes. I'm sure he knows what I want in this situation._

Branson looked almost excited, shifting in his seat.

_I'm sure to be nominated, but the question is who's sitting in the seat next to me. Bates is about to give me life in this game or seal my fate for good, _were Branson's thoughtful scribblings.

Finally, mercifully, Bates came in and sat down – looking, as usual, at no one.

"Housemates…" O'Brien said. "There are two housemates nominated for eviction this week. They are…

Tom Branson and Matthew Crawley."

For the second time, Anna and Mary looked shocked. Anna met Bates' eyes, and gave him a slight smile. He merely nodded, grateful that they appeared to be on good terms again. Then his gaze shifted to Matthew, who also gave a slight nod.

_In the end, I made this decision because of Anna, _Bates wrote. _And if this vote comes down to a tie, I will evict who she wants out – no matter who it is._

Branson looked as if he'd been given new life as he sat grinning to himself in his chair.

_I wish it didn't have to come down to this, Matthew, _Branson's pen tapped excitedly as he continued to write. _I don't want to turn your weaknesses against you, but I have to in order to convince Anna and Bates I'd be a better final three match for them than you would._

Mary got up right away and left – looking almost disgusted. After a moment – and sympathetic looks from all involved – Matthew followed her.

This left Branson the perfect opportunity.

"I didn't believe much of what Richard Carlisle said when he was here," Branson commented. "But he was right about one thing. Matthew Crawley is the most dangerous player here."

"If volunteering to be nominated makes him dangerous, you might say the same thing about me," Bates reminded him.

Branson gave him a look. "Means something a bit different when there are only five people left in the house."

Anna and Bates exchanged a look, before she offered, "Whatever his motives now, he's been very loyal to us when it counted."

"But it counts more now," Branson reminded them. "And when it comes down to it, do you think he'd hesitate to take out either one of you if it got her further in this game?"

"Of course not," Bates answered. "I don't think any of us doubt that."

Branson sat forward in his seat. "I like Matthew a lot. In many ways, he's the most decent fellow here. But I'll be honest – that kind of radical gameplay frightens me a bit."

"So, what are you suggesting?" Bates wondered. "Vote him out after he's volunteered, and then send her out the door after him?"

"Matthew Crawley isn't going to vote for anyone who votes to send her home," Anna said. "And to be quite honest, neither am I."

Holding up his hands, Branson leaned back in a gesture of surrender. "For all we know, Mary Crawley could win house leader tomorrow. But – you don't know who she'd put up, do you? Whereas if Matthew stays and wins house leader, you know exactly who he'd nominate…and who he wouldn't."

Bates and Anna were silent.

_My loyalty in this game is to Lady Mary and Mr. Bates, _Anna explained in her neat script. _Of course I'm grateful to Mr. Crawley, but Branson is right. Even if he goes, Mr. Crawley would always choose Lady Mary over either of us._

Finally, Bates ventured, "Why not speak to her instead of Anna? She's never been in our alliance. You might have an easier time convincing her than you realize."

Branson gave him a look. "You think I'm going to convince Mary Crawley to vote out the man who saved her from the block?"

Anna raised her eyebrows, with a slight smile, but said nothing.

* * *

Mary was seated in the dining room when she noticed Matthew passing by the doorway. He stopped – almost freezing in her presence, as if unsure of what to do next.

She rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm certainly not going to give you my vote unless you ask properly."

"I'm not here for your vote," he practically snapped at her, before shaking his head. "Sorry, I—" He approached the table, but remained standing.

"That means…sitting down and everything," she informed him.

Hesitating, he claimed the seat two down from her. "I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry…for voting Sybil out."

She gave him an appraising glance before turning her attention back to the empty doorway. "I'm rather curious about something." When he didn't say anything, she looked back towards him. "How many times have I voted against you?"

His brow furrowed, as he tried not to act like he was too thrown by her question. "Well, I…I'm not sure."

"Perhaps that's because I haven't," she said, simply. "I don't see the point of advertising one's alliances – of becoming an instant target for someone else simply because of who you meet with in the task room."

He bristled at the remark, his lips rubbing together. "I suppose you think that's why you're not on the block."

"On the contrary." Mary gave him a look. "Am I supposed to be grateful? That you would so nobly volunteer yourself to save me?"

"It—it was a…" Matthew stammered, totally unprepared for this line of questioning. "a…gesture."

"A gesture…" she repeated, almost to herself. "The only reason it was at all necessary for you to _rescue_ me is because you needed to prove rather publicly that you could get on with servants."

He frowned. "That wasn't…" But trailing off, he couldn't finish the sentence.

"Wasn't it?" she asked. "Your alliance split the house more than Richard ever did."

"Richard forced Anna's hand—" Matthew protested.

"But it wouldn't have been necessary had you not _insisted_ on making it so public. Completely cutting ties with Richard – and wanting me to do the same – when we could've _pretended_ we were still with him. That's what a smart player would've done."

That's…not how I wanted to play the game."

Now Mary laughed. "Seems you were quite alone in that respect. Did Sybil feel the need to 'form an alliance' with Branson? Do you ever hear Anna speak of her loyalty to Bates? Thomas and William were quite close – were you aware of that?"

Matthew's silence spoke for itself.

"You always make everything so black and white, Matthew." Mary rose from the table, turning to leave. "But if I've voted in the same manner as you, and yet you've voted out all my other allies…then who among us has been loyal, and who has played the ruthless game?"

As always, she left him speechless.

* * *

_Day Seventeen_

When Bates went down to breakfast, the thought of a tie weighed heavily on his mind. Matthew had gone up quite early the previous night, and seemed disinclined to speak to anyone – so he supposed his talk with Mary hadn't exactly gone well.

_If for some reason Mary Crawley votes for Matthew, I'll need to see if Anna wants to go ahead with our deal with Branson. _Bates was pensive as he wrote. _It's a risky move either way._

He was grateful when he saw Anna enter the dining room, with a smile.

"Did you speak to Mary?" Bates asked.

Anna shook her head. "She seemed a bit out of sorts, so I didn't want to say anything."

Sighing, Bates looked almost forlorn. "What do _you_ think she might do?"

"It depends on how upset she is."

"So, what do _we_ do?" Bates wanted to know.

With a smile, Anna said, "We do what we think is right."

_I'm really not sure if Lady Mary would vote out Mr. Crawley – especially when the alternative is Branson, _Anna wondered to her diary. _But it wouldn't be the first thing to surprise me in this game._

* * *

When Branson found himself in step with her as she made her way to the sitting room, Mary had to contain the urge to roll her eyes.

"So, can I count on your vote?" Branson asked, genially.

"Well, that rather depends," Mary replied.

"Depends on what?"

"Depends on you staying away from my sister," Mary warned him, icily.

But he just grinned. "I can see how you two are related."

"Can you?" she said. "Can you also see how you injure your case to stay in this house every moment you spend trying to speak with me?"

Branson raised his eyebrows with a chastened nod. "Quite so. But – just so you know, I think Anna may be voting to keep me."

"I'll keep that in mind," Mary said, turning to leave. But after a moment, she added, "And good luck to you. I can see how Sybil might've grown misguidedly fond of you."

She turned down the corridor, and suddenly found herself pulled into a very dark, confined space, as the door shut behind her.

"Matthew!" she hissed – recognizing his nervous breathing instantly. She shifted, but found only inches separated them, and she was forced to almost hold her breath to maintain the meager distance. "What are you—"

"Vote me out," he whispered back.

"What?" Truthfully, she wasn't sure she heard him properly.

"Vote me out," he said again.

She pushed her back against the door, her hand resting lightly on her hip. "How do you know that wasn't my plan?"

"If you force a tie, whatever happens – the blood will be on Bates' hands, not yours. You keep a jury vote."

"But if you…" Mary's head was spinning – she felt warm, in a way that might not be entirely attributable to the confined space. His breath was on her face, and she felt slightly faint. "And what about…Bates and Anna…your alliance…"

There was a pause before he responded. "I believe…you were the one who said we should keep our true alliances secret."

Her breath drew in, though she couldn't help but crack a smile. "It's…not exactly a secret, though, is it?"

"Not for _me_…"

Now she felt slightly faint. "Matthew…"

"Final two," he said, suddenly. "Just say the word, Mary." Had he moved closer? His face seemed to have inched towards hers. "Say the word and we'll take them _all_ out, together."

"I…" she started, her eyes fluttering shut. It was all so dark, so warm, so close, and he was so...

Her hand found the door handle, which she turned and quickly let herself out and hurried down the corridor.

* * *

"Housemates, Lady Grantham is listening to you live. Please do not curse."

Everyone turned almost in unison to the sound of O'Brien's voice through the grate.

"Tom Branson and Matthew Crawley, the voting is closed. The votes have been counted and verified and I can now reveal…there is a 1-1 tie."

Once more, Anna gasped, Branson looked confused and Bates looked slightly sick.

"In the event of a tie, the rules of Lady Grantham's big brother's house state that the house leader casts the deciding vote. John Bates, please stand – and cast your vote to evict."

"Yes – yes, alright." Bates now stood, looking nervous – but he caught Anna's gaze, and she nodded. "I must do what I think is right, and that is what's best for my alliance…

So, I'm very sorry – I have to evict you, Branson."

Smiling to himself, Branson rose from his chair.

"Tom Branson, you are the eighth person to be evicted from Lady Grantham's big brother's house. You must say your goodbyes promptly – else I come to get you," O'Brien warned.

Branson shook hands with Matthew and Bates, nodded to Anna and Mary. "Out of everyone still here…" he began. "I think I'll miss the meals most of all."

Silence reigned over the room as the door closed behind him.

_Lady Mary voted to evict Mr. Crawley, _Anna almost smiled as she wrote. _Well, I did say there was very little that would surprise me in this game._

Mary looked unnerved as she sat there, waiting.

_I did go along with Matthew's idea, _Mary wrote._ But the truth is, I hadn't given much thought to final two. Why must Matthew always want some type of commitment?_

O'Brien interrupted their thoughts: "Housemates, if you will adjourn to the task room where you will compete to determine the new house leader."

Bates still looked utterly stunned, while Anna and Mary followed behind him – with Matthew the last one to enter.

Though nobody remaining felt much like competing.

* * *

"Congratulations, Matthew Crawley – you are the new house leader," O'Brien declared, as the final four dutifully filed out of the task room.

Matthew, who was the last to enter, was also the first to leave – wanting to get as far away from the task room as possible.

"Where's Matthew?" Mary wondered.

Anna shrugged. "I'm not sure. He left so quickly, I didn't even have time to congratulate him."

Mary looked down the corridor, but Matthew was nowhere to be found.

_What on earth just happened? _Matthew scribbled, furiously. _I tried to be dangerous, I tried to be ruthless and yet – it's not enough. And I don't think it will __**ever**__ be enough._


	10. Day 17 cont, Day 18 & Day 19

_A/N: Only one episode left until tomorrow's finale! I couldn't have done this without all your reviews and support (and I intend to respond to each and every one)._

* * *

_Day Seventeen cont_

"Matthew," Mary called, as she wandered the corridor. "Matthew?"

She found him in the upstairs morning room, staring despondently out the window.

"Are you feeling a bit more sociable?" she asked, with a tentative smile.

He did not seem to appreciate her humor. "Where are Anna and Bates?" he asked, flatly.

"They're downstairs. They wanted to congratulate you before you…wandered off," Mary replied.

Matthew seemed to find this particularly funny, before he glanced at her almost hesitantly. "And…why are _you_ here?"

Her smile faltered, only for a moment.

"Surely it's not to accept my final two proposal," he bit out, ungraciously.

"Well, you can't have been certain I was going to refuse it – even if you'd not been the house leader," Mary pointed out.

Matthew gave her a look that was somewhere between despair and disgust. "Especially since accepting it now would ensure you wouldn't be nominated."

"I did what you asked!" she exclaimed. "Is that not enough?"

He scoffed, turning away from her. "Of course you did, since it benefited you. You'll take my advice, my—" He paused, and her eyes widened. "My…support, but when I ask one thing of you—"

"Oh, yes – _one thing_," Mary scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"The truth is, I haven't decided who I'm going to nominate, and since we can't discuss it anyway, I'm afraid your little errand has failed," Matthew said. "Now unless you'd like to speak about anything else…"

With a sigh of disgust, Mary turned and walked out of the room.

For a moment, he watched her with an almost pained look before turning back towards the window.

Matthew's pen shook as he wrote: _I don't know what to do. Well, I know what I __**should**__ do, but I'm really not sure if I can. However much I might want to… _

* * *

Leaving Matthew alone, Mary went back downstairs – where Anna and Bates were waiting in the sitting room.

"Did you find him?" Anna wanted to know.

Mary nodded. "I'm…not sure he wants company at the moment." She didn't add that it was her company he most likely didn't want. "Bates, would you mind terribly if I spoke to Anna in private?"

"Not at all," he said, giving Anna a small smile and Mary what could only be described as an almost deferential nod as he left the room.

_I suppose I should use this opportunity to speak to Matthew, _Bates mused to his diary. _Since I'm fairly certain Anna voted to evict Branson as we discussed, perhaps it means he's finally broken with Mary._

Taking a seat on the settee opposite her, Mary folded her hands. "We've not spoken much since the last vote."

Anna nodded. "I know. I…I didn't know you wanted him out of the house. I wish you'd said something earlier."

Thinking of her and Matthew's earlier conversation, she swallowed. "No, it's alright. I'm not sure I was thinking too clearly."

"Well, that's a relief. You must have known Branson was coming after you if he stayed. Whereas Matthew—"

"Oh, Matthew this, Matthew that, Matthew, Matthew, Matthew," Mary joked, in a singsong fashion. But it gave her pause.

_If I can secure a final two with Matthew and Anna, then if either wins house leader, they would both of them take me. I'd not even be forced to compete! _Mary smiled as she wrote.

"Have you and Bates…spoken about what might happen…in the end?"

Anna almost laughed. "Well, that's unlikely to happen, given that it's going to be one of us leaving, isn't it?"

"Well, I wouldn't be too sure about that after this last vote." At least Mary could say she was honest about that.

Nevertheless, Anna smiled. "I meant what I said. I'm on your side."

"Even if my side…isn't Bates' side?"

Hesitating for a moment, Anna smiled. "I refuse to get upset over something that's yet to happen. If Matthew nominates the two of you, then I'll start to worry."

_I suppose I should have considered the possibility that I'd have to choose between Lady Mary and Mr. Bates, _Anna wrote. _But how was I to know we'd all be here in the end? It just seemed so unlikely at the time._

Mary raised an eyebrow. "Haven't you learned by now? Expect the unexpected."

* * *

Matthew had not moved from one of the upstairs morning rooms when Bates found him.

He dipped his head when he saw Bates – utterly ashamed at the deception he'd pulled on a man who'd been his ally. How he'd forced Bates to "save" him in front of everyone.

"Bates…I'm so sorry," Matthew apologized, almost immediately.

Looking almost taken aback, Bates shook his head. "Please – no apology is necessary. I put you on the block – I had to accept the possibility I might have been forced to break a tie." He almost chuckled. "I just…never thought she would vote for you."

His eyes closed for a moment, remembering their heated conversation just before the vote.

_It's not a lie, I suppose, _Matthew reasoned to his diary. _After all, how was I to know Mary would do a thing I suggested?_

When Matthew remained silent – not wanting to incriminate himself any more than necessary, Bates continued, "I…suppose this alters your thinking about nominations?"

Matthew's head snapped up – almost thrown by the question. "Well, I…"

"You know I would go up if you asked me to," Bates explained. "After all, nominating you helped me sort things out with Anna after the vote to evict Sybil Crawley."

Shifting uncomfortably in his chair, all Matthew could do was think of what he _couldn't_ tell Bates. That in the heat of the moment, he didn't care about his alliances or the loyalty they'd shown him.

He'd only cared about impressing _her_.

"That's…very kind of you," Matthew managed, swallowing heavily. "But I'm…afraid I must think upon it further. Perhaps we can discuss more tomorrow."

"Of course," Bates said, nodding as he turned to leave.

After several moments, Matthew heard the sound of someone else coming up the stairs and he hurried out into the corridor in time to see Mary.

She froze more than halfway up the stairway as he remained at the top.

"Matthew, I'm tired. I told you I would think about your final two offer, but—"

He shook his head. "It's not about that." Tentatively, he took a step forward. "All I need to know is…you trust someone in this game, even if it's not me."

"…Why?" There was an edge to her voice as if sensing she would not like whatever he said next.

"Bates wants to go up against you – to keep Anna off the block," he said.

Mary practically chortled at this suggestion. When he was silent, she rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't tell me you're considering this!"

"Why not?" he wanted to know. "If you wanted to conceal…what happened…" Again, he grew hot at the memory. "Of course I should put you up. After all, you voted to send me home."

"But nobody knows that!"

"_Everybody_ knows that," he corrected her.

She was silent for a moment, trying to conceal her shock, as well as her annoyance. "So, you force Anna to make the choice instead? Isn't that rather cruel?"

"Is it?" he asked. "Don't you even trust _her_?"

"That's not your concern," she said, one foot moving onto the previous step.

"Anna has been loyal to me and to the alliance that you mocked yesterday. Why_ shouldn't_ I keep her off the block? Why should I save _you_?"

Mary was annoyed. "If that is indeed how you feel, why not keep Bates off the block and give him the deciding vote?"

Now he gave her a look. "I should think that would be rather obvious."

"Is it?" she challenged, almost mocking him. "You're not saving Anna – you're putting blood on her hands." Then she almost laughed, with a disbelieving shake of her head. "You really don't know a thing about this game, do you?"

"No," Matthew said, turning to leave. "And I pray that I never do."

_I can't let Anna choose between Bates and me. It's not fair to her. _Mary wrote, with a new determination. _Matthew is trying to force my hand in that final two deal he offered, and it's not going to work._

Matthew went back to the morning room, which had grown dark by now, and wondered if he'd get any sleep at all.

_I— _He stared at his diary for a long time. _I don't like this game. In fact— I wish I could volunteer myself for eviction. It would solve everyone's problems – including my own._

* * *

_Day Eighteen_

Matthew's mood did not improve the next day, when an anxious-looking Anna greeted him at the bottom of the stairs.

"I was wondering…if I might speak with you for a moment?" she asked, looking nervous.

He tried not to wince at the idea of giving it any further consideration, but nodded as amiably as he could. "What is it?"

Suddenly, she let out a long sigh. "I need a favor. I'm not asking much, but…please put me up."

That did surprise him, though he tried to contain just how much. "Put you up?" he parroted back to her, dumbly.

"The thing is…" she began, glancing around to make sure they were quite alone. "I know he's volunteered himself…to keep me off the block. But I can't send one of them out the door. I'd rather leave myself than choose between them."

She seemed almost panicked at the idea, and he was faced with the prospect of having to calm someone who normally seemed quite unflappable.

"I…I've not decided what to do yet," he told her, honestly. "But I'll certainly take that into consideration."

Anna smiled. "Thank you. Whatever you decide…I know you'll do the right thing."

_I knew Mr. Crawley would understand, _Anna penned, with a sigh of relief. _I don't even care about the game now – I'd just rather not choose between two people who have been quite good to me, inside of this game and out._

"I don't know about that," Matthew said, ducking his head as if to avoid the compliment.

"Good luck with everything. I mean that," Anna said, before she hurried to the dining room before anyone else saw her.

* * *

The pen and paper loomed on the table in front of him, and Matthew stared at them. The only other time he was in here, it had been considerably easier to write down his nominations. But now – at the end, it seemed to be too much responsibility to bear.

"What happens if I do nothing?" he wondered aloud.

O'Brien – who hadn't realized he was speaking to her – took a moment to respond. "Sir, as house leader, it is your responsibility to nominate two housemates for eviction."

"Yes, but what happens if I don't?" Matthew snapped back. "What if I nominate myself?"

"The house leader is not permitted to nominate himself," O'Brien replied.

"And what if I just…walk out of the house?" he cried – his frustration increasing by the minute.

There was a long pause.

Matthew wasn't sure if he'd asked some unthinkable question or if by questioning the rules of the game, he'd automatically evicted himself or something equally as dire.

Finally, O'Brien spoke again. Her voice was softer, less formal. "Mr. Crawley," she addressed him. It was odd to hear his name from the voice in the grate – almost as if she was speaking to him as a person. "You are of course permitted to forfeit Lady Grantham's big brother's game and leave Lady Grantham's big brother's house at any point.

I would only remind you that you'll then return to Lord Grantham's house and you'll no doubt be dining at Lord Grantham's table…where Her Ladyship is a frequent guest."

After the image had sunk in sufficiently, Matthew couldn't help but crack a smile, as he seated himself at the table and picked up the pen. "Thank you, O'Brien," he said, softly as he began to write.

* * *

"Housemates…"

O'Brien spoke almost immediately after Matthew had returned to the sitting room.

"There are two housemates nominated for eviction. They are…

John Bates and Anna Smith."

Across the room, Anna gave Matthew a grateful smile, while Bates merely bowed his head in acknowledgment. For a moment, Mary looked shocked – but when she met Matthew's eyes, she quickly looked away.

_Of course I knew Matthew wasn't going to nominate me. _Mary rolled her eyes as she wrote. _He'd want nothing more than to see me look bad in front of Anna and Bates, especially after I never gave him an answer about his final two offer._

Bates shook his head as he stood.

_I knew Matthew Crawley would never nominate Mary Crawley, _Bates penned, thoughtfully. _Though I fully expect to go home now, given how close she is with Anna._

Anna's heart seemed lighter than when she'd entered the room.

_I'm grateful Lady Mary will be in the final three, _Anna wrote. _I'll be at peace with whatever she decides. If I leave this house, I know that I was true to my alliance until the end._

Mary exited the room, and after a moment, Matthew – with a nod to both Anna and Bates, followed her.

Anna glanced over at Bates, almost shyly. "Who would have thought we would make it to the final four?"

"Now, don't start your eulogy just yet," Bates cautioned her, with a smile. "I'm obviously the one leaving tomorrow."

With a smile, Anna replied, "Never say die."

"Anyway, I'll not campaign against you. I've…put you through enough in this game."

She frowned. "You can't mean that."

Bates gave her a look, uttering a simple word: "Vera."

The word pained Anna to hear, but still, she put on the bravest face she could muster. "But _she'_s not here anymore, is she?" she asked, sincerely. "_We_ are."

"For now," Bates allowed, gloomily.

Anna stood up and walked toward the doorway – her eyes drifting up the stairs, as if she could see the two remaining housemates. "It's going to be the two of them in the end," she said. "That's been clear since the beginning."

Bates rose from his seat and moved to stand beside her. "Quite an unlikely pair," he mused.

"Not so unlikely when you think about it."

"No," he said, quietly – turning his head to the side. "Not so unlikely at all."

She turned at the same time, and their eyes met. Then with an almost shy smile apiece, they turned their attention back to the corridor.

* * *

_Well, everything is going spectacularly according to plan. _Mary's script attempted to at least appear upbeat. _Since Matthew didn't nominate me, I can send Bates home, and be assured of a spot in the final two with either Anna or Matthew._

Mary sat on her bed, in the empty room. Her eyes fell upon Sybil's bed, and then Anna's, and she thought of the three empty beds down the hall: Vera, Lavinia and Edith.

The house was so quiet now, with only four of them left – so they seemed to be attuned to each other's every movement.

Matthew was walking up the stairs – she could hear his footsteps, and then…they were turning, coming closer and closer…

"Mary?" he called out, softly.

Quickly, she went to shut the door of her bedroom. But of course, that only drew attention to her whereabouts.

She could hear him approaching the door. "Mary?" he repeated, slightly louder this time.

"I don't feel much up to speaking right now." Mary spoke loudly and deliberately, hoping her voice would travel through the door. "Perhaps we could do so in the morning?"

"No, I…this can't really wait. I—" Clearly, she only imagined the sound of his hand resting lightly against the door. In spite of herself, she took a step closer. "I wanted to tell you…I'm sorry about offering you the final two deal like that. I made a mistake, and I…I hope you can forgive me."

Her brow furrowed, her breath drawing in slightly. "Well, the timing could've been better," she quipped, before tentatively adding. "Even if the idea wasn't…entirely unreasonable."

"Yes, well – it's not exactly an idea I want living in my memory." He continued, "I'll take who I like to the final two, and I want you to do the same."

Again, her breath caught, uncharacteristically – before she forced false brightness into her tone. "Perhaps our ideas won't be so dissimilar."

She'd taken another step towards the door, before she heard him respond. "I'm…not sure about that, especially because…I think you should take Bates."

"Bates?" she repeated, and had to stifle a chuckle. "Why on earth would I take Bates?"

"Well, Vera would be an automatic vote for you. Bates evicted Branson, so that'd be two votes. Richard said he'd vote for you, and…all you'd need is one more."

Mary thought for a moment. "But to take Bates, I'd have to…"

"Evict Anna, yes." He'd never sounded so tired.

She staggered back, her hand bracing herself against the door as if his words had struck her. "But…Anna…" was all she managed.

"If you evict her, you'll win," he said, simply. "That's all…I wanted to tell you, so – we can speak more in the morning if you'd like."

"Wait!" Her fingers tensed against the door, curling against the wooden frame even as she leaned further away from it. "What would you do…in my place?"

There was a long pause, and what sounded like the barest brush of a hand against the door before he answered. "What do you think?" After a moment, he added, "Good luck, Mary."

The footsteps faded back into the corridor, and she pulled her hand away as if the touch of the door had burned it.

* * *

_Day Nineteen_

Nobody ate breakfast that morning.

It was as if they'd each found a corner of the house in which to hide – from each other as well as themselves, and none of them wanted to (or dared) disturb the others.

Anna was the first to emerge, and simply head to the sitting room to await her fate.

After a few minutes, Mary joined her.

The two women shared an uneasy smile as Mary sat on the settee, with Anna seated in the chair across from her.

Of course, Anna was the first to break the silence. "Whatever happens," she said, sincerely. "I want you to know that I understand completely."

Mary looked at her in seeming confusion. "What do you mean?"

"We both know you'd have an easier time of it against him in the end. He has more enemies on the jury…and you have more friends." Anna seemed remarkably calm.

"What's brought this on?" Mary wanted to know. "Have you been speaking with Matthew?"

"Of course not!" Anna almost laughed. "But it's what I'd do if I wanted to win."

Suddenly, Mary turned to Anna – her expression radiating seriousness. "_Do_ you…want to win?" she asked, as if it had never occurred to her until that moment.

Now Anna did laugh. "I don't know…" she answered, honestly. "I suppose I do. Who doesn't want to win?"

"Who indeed?" Mary murmured under her breath, knowing very well what the answer was.

* * *

When Matthew and Bates had assembled in the sitting room with them, Mary rose to cast her vote when O'Brien's voice stopped her.

"Beg pardon, m'lady," she apologized. "The rules of Lady Grantham's big brother's house state that when only four housemates remain, the remaining housemate must stand and cast her vote to evict."

Mary's eyes widened. This would have been much easier to do had she just been able to write it down. "But…I'm not house leader. Housemates cast their votes through writing," she protested.

"Not when there's only four housemates left," O'Brien informed her, before she paused to begin her ritual: "Housemates, Lady Grantham is listening to you live. Please do not curse.

Mary Crawley, please stand and cast your vote to evict either John Bates or Anna Smith."

Vainly, she tried to project confidence as she stood, staring at Bates and Anna, staring back at her from their chairs. Her eyes flickered to Matthew, who nodded imperceptibly.

"Obviously, the goal of any game is to win…" Mary found herself saying. "So, of course, I must evict John Bates."

"John Bates, you are the ninth person to be evicted from Lady Grantham's big brother's house. You must say your goodbyes promptly – else I come to get you." O'Brien failed to keep the tinge of triumph out of her voice.

"Yes, Miss O'Brien," Bates said – knowing she couldn't exactly scold him for breaking the house rules when he was leaving. He shook Matthew's hand and Anna's. He held her hand for a fraction longer, murmuring, "Do what you think is right." Then, a little more loudly he proclaimed, "Good luck to all of you," before he walked out the door.

Matthew slumped back in his chair, happy to be free of the burden of house leader for the second time.

_So, Mary does trust at least one person in this game, _Matthew wrote, with a smile. _It has clearly served her well. Perhaps she didn't need any alliance after all._

Anna looked a mixture of relieved and grateful.

_I'm sorry to see Mr. Bates leave, and shocked to have made it to the final three, _Anna penned, excitedly. _Whatever happens now, it's an honor to be here so close to the end._

"Housemates…"

O'Brien paused, uncharacteristically – which made them all take notice.

"If you will adjourn to the task room where you will compete to become the new house leader. However, unlike previous competitions, _everyone_ is eligible to compete."

Both Mary and Anna glanced almost involuntarily at Matthew, who did his best not to look completely unnerved by the new rules.

As the three housemates were making their way to the task room, O'Brien interrupted them yet again: "After the competition, you will return to the sitting room where the final house leader will immediately cast the final vote for eviction and tomorrow, the last seven evicted housemates will return to cast their votes for the winner of Lady Grantham's big brother's game."

Matthew, Mary and Anna did not look at each other as they continued into the task room.


	11. Day 19 cont & Day 20 Finale

_Day Nineteen cont_

"Congratulations, Anna Smith – you are the final house leader of Lady Grantham's big brother's game," O'Brien announced, as the remaining three housemates filed back into the room.

There was no time even to think, as Matthew and Mary took their seats, as if they had not been nominated by default.

Anna wished she had time to write in her diary, as she looked back from one to the other. Matthew – who'd been a member of her alliance, and Mary – to whom she'd been loyal from almost the beginning.

"Anna Smith, please stand and cast your vote to evict Matthew Crawley or Mary Crawley," O'Brien ordered, impatiently.

With a deep breath, Anna stood. "Right. I don't have a lot of time, so…I think it's important to do what's right." She smiled at the thought of Bates as she continued, "The truth is – someone has saved me once today, and so…with regret, I vote to evict Matthew Crawley."

Matthew smiled, the tension seeming to leave his body as he stood. He extended his hand to Anna, and she shook it briefly. "Thank you," he said, simply.

Then he came to Mary.

"Matthew Crawley, you must say your goodbyes promptly – else I come to get you." O'Brien's usual warning sounded particularly rote today.

The tension effectively broken, Mary smiled obligingly, and extended her hand for him to shake.

He curled his fingers around her palm, as if to hold her hand instead of shaking it.

Then he smiled. "Final two," he said, simply – dropping her hand and walking quickly out the door.

When the door closed, she turned back to Anna and her expression melted at the sight of Anna's broad grin.

"Til the end," she reminded Mary, smiling.

Mary smiled back as sincerely as she ever had, and raised an eyebrow. "Was there ever any doubt?"

* * *

It was almost more awkward to eat together when there was no one else there, but it would have been even stranger for each of them to eat alone.

"So, the last seven evicted housemates decide the winner," Anna mused.

Mary nodded. "Matthew, Bates, Branson, Sybil, Richard, Vera and…" She paused a moment. "Oh yes, Edith."

Anna laughed at this. "At least I'll be guaranteed one vote."

"I think you'll be guaranteed quite a bit more than that." Mary's lips turned up. "Or did you forget about Bates so quickly?"

"That's only if Vera doesn't blackmail him or threaten him into voting against me," Anna joked, half-seriously. "Or if Richard doesn't offer everyone jobs if they vote for you."

Rolling her eyes, Mary remarked, "As if Richard Carlisle would waste his time on favors for me. Besides, I don't think he takes too kindly to those who vote him out when they are meant to be aligned with him."

Anna shrugged. "Either way, you've certainly got Vera and Sybil."

"Well, you have Edith and Bates," Mary reminded her.

Now Anna laughed aloud. "Aren't you forgetting someone?"

Mary gave her a knowing look. "_That's_ certainly no guarantee. And then, of course, there's Branson."

"There's no love lost between him and me," Anna pointed out.

"Seeing as I all but threatened him to stay away from my sister, I don't see him eager to vote for me either. He'll probably vote for Sybil as some sort of rebellious gesture or refuse to vote entirely," Mary mused.

They were silent for a moment.

"Tomorrow, we get to leave this house," Anna commented.

"I suppose we do." Mary did her best not to sound too enthusiastic. "The first thing I'm going to do is read a book."

"There must be so much mending," Anna said. "I'll have to see that Gwen hasn't been too put out by my absence."

"And then a newspaper. I don't think Papa should be surprised if I grab it clean out of his hands during breakfast."

Anna thought for a moment. "Then there's the dusting. I do hope Mrs. Hughes brought some local girl up from the village, else I'm not sure how they could've handed it all for weeks on end."

"No, the first thing I'm going to do is go riding," Mary decided. "I don't think the fresh air and outdoors has ever sounded so appealing."

"I'll have to sort out your riding clothes, then," Anna said. "Your boots might still be at the menders, so I'll have to see about…"

They looked up at the same time, meeting each other's eyes across the table that now seemed as if it had grown twice as wide merely during this conversation.

"But…we can worry about all that after tomorrow," Mary put in, quickly. She glanced round the table. "It seems so empty. I keep expecting Sybil to encourage us to enjoy our meal."

"Or Branson to comment on the quality of the food," Anna said.

"Or Richard to come up with some sort of entertaining form of disruption."

Now Anna laughed briefly. "Or Vera to glare at everyone, like any chatter was somehow interrupting her precious supper."

Mary smiled back. "Or Matthew to…"

She stopped, as they looked down at the 10 empty seats surrounding them.

"Tomorrow, we'll only wish it was so quiet," Mary commented.

"Quite right," Anna replied.

But neither could tear their eyes from the empty table.

_I can't believe I'm in the final two with Lady Mary, though I'm not keen about arguing against her, _Anna wrote, excitedly. _I'll most likely lose to her, but it's alright. Whatever happens, it's really been a fantastic experience._

_Of course I'm grateful Anna chose me to be in the final two, _Mary sighed as her pen moved listlessly across the paper. _She was the only one who was loyal to me throughout this entire game. I think I would almost rather—_

Then she stopped abruptly, put her pen down and slammed her diary shut.

* * *

_Day Twenty_

"Housemates…"

O'Brien interrupted Mary and Anna's meager breakfast, though both were far too anxious to eat much.

Mary replaced her cup on the saucer. "There aren't 12 of us anymore, O'Brien – surely you can use our proper names now."

Anna giggled under her breath.

There was a slight pause before the response: "Mary Crawley and Anna Smith, please adjourn to the sitting room after breakfast for further instructions."

"That's better." Mary looked exceedingly satisfied at this seemingly small victory.

"Thank you…Sarah O'Brien," Anna said, daringly – catching Mary's shocked, but somewhat impressed stare.

"Now we'll have no more of that, _Anna. _You'd best hope I don't get Lady Grantham in here early, so she can bear witness to your insubordination." O'Brien sounded particularly annoyed.

"But isn't that what my grandmother said several weeks ago?" Mary insisted, almost innocently. "That we are all equal inside her big brother's house?"

"I suppose you'll find that out soon enough…" O'Brien paused – but resisted the temptation, "…m'lady."

And for that moment, all three women in the room (including the voice in the grate) did indeed feel some kind of kinship between them. In this man's game, the last three remaining in the house were women.

Perhaps it wasn't true equality – but for that moment, it was close enough.

* * *

Mary and Anna went into the sitting room, as requested – to find it had been cleared out of all furniture except two chairs.

"I thought there was supposed to be a jury." Mary frowned, as she glanced round the room.

Anna shrugged, her brow furrowing as she did the same.

"Housemates, Lady Grantham is listening to you live. Please do not curse."

"O'Brien," Mary said, crossly. "Where on earth is everyone else? Why are we just seated in the room by ourselves?"

There was a pause then, followed by, "…Mary?"

"Granny?" Mary asked, trying to keep the slight excitement out of her voice at hearing anyone familiar again. "Granny, what is it? Where is everybody?"

"Ah, yes – well…they're all here, with me—oh, O'Brien you can explain it better than I can," Violet mumbled, and there was another brief pause.

"Mary Crawley and Anna Smith…you'll first have a chance to make a statement – an argument explaining why the jury should vote for you. The last seven evicted housemates will then have a chance to ask one or both of you a question before they cast their votes to determine the winner of Lady Grantham's big brother's game," O'Brien explained.

"Mary Crawley, you'll go first," said O'Brien.

With a sigh, Mary said, "I'm not sure what you want me to say. I clearly played a better game than all of you, because I'm sitting here and you're not. I suppose I didn't really need an alliance at the end and I never made a promise I couldn't keep. That's really the long and short of it."

She turned to Anna, who looked almost startled. "Alright – well, I had a wonderful time playing this game. I suppose I won house leader twice, and I was loyal to my alliance. I'd appreciate your vote, but I understand if you don't vote for me."

There was a long pause, then a familiar, high whiny voice sounded through the grate: "This is Edith Crawley," she said slowly, as she'd clearly been instructed to introduce herself. "Mary, if you didn't have an alliance, then didn't you just sit back while other people made the decisions for you?"

"That's a ridiculous question," Mary said. "O'Brien – do we have to answer their questions?"

"It's not ridiculous!" Edith's voice protested. "It's a perfectly valid question, for anyone wanting to brag about the fact that others carried them to the end."

"Which is more than I can say for some of us," Mary mumbled.

Finally, O'Brien jumped in: "In answer to your question…no, m'lady. You don't have to answer anything you don't want to – just as your fellow housemates don't have to vote for anyone they don't want to either."

Appropriately chastened, Mary simply rolled her eyes in defiance. "Is that all?" she asked, impatiently.

"Congratulations, Anna," came Edith's voice a final time before another pause.

"This is Vera Bates," came the thinly pitched voice, and Anna couldn't help but suppress a shudder. "Anna Smith – I want to know when you started putting the moves on my Batesy…"

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Anna muttered. "Mr. Bates and I are friends, Mrs. Bates – nothing more."

"Because if I find out that you tried to share any prize money with him, well…I_ will_ be back to claim my share," Vera practically snarled through the grate.

"Can we move on to the next question, O'Brien?" Anna asked, impatiently – putting her hand to her head. Mary gave her a sympathetic look and for once, Anna was the one rolling her eyes.

"This is Richard Carlisle." Mary sat up almost imperceptibly straighter as the soft, honeyed tones of his voice filtered through the wall. "My question is for Mary Crawley. If the votes had gone the other way, and Anna had been evicted when she was up against William…would you have voted out Bates the next time?"

At first, Mary rolled her eyes. Then she glanced at Anna, who was looking at her expectantly. "Yes, I believe I would have," she replied, keeping her eyes fixed on the grate in front of her.

She could practically hear a smile in his voice. "Good luck," he said.

"This is Sybil Crawley," came a cheery voice through the wall, and Mary and Anna both smiled instantly. "I don't really have a question. I'm just happy there are two women at the end – I think it proves we really are all equal here." The sound of her laughter was almost infectious. "Best of luck to both of you."

"Thank you, Sybil, darling," Mary said.

"Thank you," Anna chimed in.

There was another pause. "This is Tom Branson." Both women could practically hear the smirk in his voice. "My first question is for Anna Smith, and it's a simple one. Why did you vote me out?"

Anna looked slightly thrown by the question. "Well, you…you wanted to get rid of, of Mary, and Matthew Crawley was in my alliance," Anna answered.

"Fair enough," Branson replied. "Mary Crawley. Similar question: Why _didn'_t you vote to get rid of me?"

She could tell Anna was looking at her, wanting to know the same thing. Smiling to herself, she realized what she had to do. "I figured on Anna voting for you and well, I wanted to force a tie. I saw nothing wrong with the house leader making the decision."

Again, Anna looked at her, and Mary avoided her eyes.

Luckily, it was short-lived, when the sound of a softer, gentler voice filled the room: "This—this is John Bates." Anna smiled in spite of herself at the sound of his voice. "It's…a bit of an odd question, but it's for both of you. If you could have anyone else sitting next to you in the final two, who would it be?"

Mary glanced at Anna, indicating she should answer first. "Oh!" Anna said, sounding shocked – followed by a brief nervous laugh. "Well…I couldn't say, really…" Her expression softened. "I suppose…it'd be someone loyal and trustworthy. Someone who I think deserves to be here just as much as I do." A gentle blush colored her cheeks as she spoke.

"I would choose Richard Carlisle," Mary said, "because then I would surely win."

There was a brief period of silence after that, and Mary found herself tensing in her seat in anticipation. "This is Matthew Crawley." The low, resonant voice wafted through the grate. "I want to say congratulations to you both. But my…my question is for Mary…"

Rolling her eyes, Mary shifted in her chair – trying to look as annoyed as possible.

"…Why did you take Anna to the final three?"

Her eyes widened. She wasn't exactly sure what question she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't that. "Well, who wouldn't take Anna?" she answered, breezily. "She's certainly almost as deserving of being here as I am."

Before Anna could even react to this statement, O'Brien's voice interjected, "Anna Smith and Mary Crawley, your former housemates will now cast their votes to determine the winner of Lady Grantham's big brother's game."

Mary once more kept her eyes on the wall in front of her, though she closed them briefly as if in prayer. Anna seemed less comfortable – and kept glancing at Mary.

"Did you really mean…everything that you said?" Anna whispered.

"No talking during the vote," O'Brien admonished.

Anna did as she was told. Mary's eyes bore holes into the wall in front of her. It really did seem an inordinately long time to wait. Finally…

"Mary Crawley and Anna Smith, the voting is now closed."

Anna looked over at Mary, who swallowed noticeably.

"The votes have been counted and verified."

Out of the corner of her eye, Mary saw Anna hesitantly extend her hand – stopping just short of Mary's own chair.

"And I can now report that by a vote of 4-3, the winner of Lady Grantham's big brother's game is…"

Briefly, Mary grasped Anna's hand, and the two women looked at each other.

"…Mary Crawley."

When she heard her name, Mary's eyes closed once more. She could hear Anna's words of congratulations. She could almost hear the sound of what sounded like some form of murmuring or polite applause from the grate on the wall.

Then her eyes flew open, as she spoke in a loud, clear voice. "O'Brien, might we be allowed to leave now?"

* * *

Anna and Mary stood at the door, expectantly. Outside was the world, freedom and a return to real life.

"Congratulations, m'lady," Anna said.

Mary dipped her head. "I'm not m'lady until we leave, you know."

But Anna merely smiled. "You were m'lady once the game ended." She paused, then asked, "Those…things you said in there – during the questioning…"

"Oh, Anna," she sighed, with a smile. "You know you must always forget what I say."

With an understanding smile, Mary turned the door handle and she and Anna stepped out into the bright sunshine. Twenty days, they had been locked away from the world. She wondered what had changed.

She wondered what would remain the same.

Violet had arranged for a garden party on the grounds of her big brother's house before all the housemates were scheduled to return to Downton, and the rest of the housemates in the jury were milling about the lawn.

Richard came right up to Mary. "Congratulations," he said, extending his hand. "That was a fine game you played. I knew you'd win in the end."

"Did you?" Mary asked, taking his hand as she raised an eyebrow. "And how, pray tell, did you figure that?"

Now he smiled. "I'm a journalist," he said, simply. "It's my job to find the story."

Before Mary could react to that, Sybil had run up to her and Anna – wrapping them both in a firm embrace. "Congratulations, Mary!" she exclaimed. "Anna, you did wonderfully. Wasn't this fun? Oh, I hope we can do this every year!"

She nodded to Branson in the corner, who nodded back, and her grin widened.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Mary cautioned.

Leaving her sister to continue chatting, she continued to where her grandmother was standing.

"Congratulations, my dear," Violet greeted Mary.

"I don't understand…" Mary said, finally dropping the façade she'd maintained since she'd heard her name called. "Anna should have won, shouldn't she?"

Her grandmother nodded. "Anna played the nicer game. She was the most loyal and trustworthy, and there was never a worthier final two adversary for you."

"Then…why didn't she win?" Mary wondered.

Violet seemed to smile at this. "Because not everything is fair, and not everyone is equal. If it wasn't evident before, then it should surely be now."

Mary seemed confused, but decided to let it go for the moment. "Well it's of no matter now. You…mentioned something about a…prize for winning the game?"

Now Violet raised her eyebrow, briefly touching her eldest granddaughter on the elbow. "My dear, that _is_ your prize. Knowing that sometimes even when life is unfair, you will generally come out on top. The question is what you do with this information once you leave here."

A bright-eyed Sybil then interrupted them. "Granny – oh, I'm sorry, Mary – Granny, I was wondering if I might speak to you about a new chauffeur…"

Mary glanced behind to see Branson standing a safe distance away. She raised her eyebrows as if to communicate some kind of wish for luck.

She then saw Bates, Anna and Matthew chatting away from everyone – most likely trying to avoid Vera.

"Congratulations," Bates said again.

She smiled. "Thank you, Bates." Turning to Anna, she remarked, "I think I'll put off riding once I get back to Downton. In fact, I believe I may have a rest. And I'll instruct Mrs. Hughes that you're to do the same."

Anna grinned. "Actually…I'm anxious to get back to work if it's alright, m'lady. All this laying about isn't good for anyone."

After a moment, Mary smiled. "Quite right."

"Well, I…think I see Miss O'Brien over there." Bates indicated the ladies' maid, who also looked relieved to be out of the house. "Perhaps we should be polite and say hello."

To his surprise, Anna broke into a grin. "Why not?" she shrugged, happily.

As they left, Mary pondered all the unusual ways in which this game had brought people together.

Sighing, she turned to Matthew. "Well…I suppose I should thank you."

"For what?" he wanted to know.

"For my win, of course," she said, flatly. "It was a 4-3 victory. Your vote clearly put me over the top."

Now he smiled. "Oh, I didn't vote for you."

Her eyes grew larger as she stared at him. Her brow furrowed, though she felt the distinct hint of a smile bubbling to the surface. "And…may I ask why not?"

"Well, Anna deserved to win. She played the best game of anyone." A smile played on his lips as he turned to her. "Don't you agree?"

Despite her raised eyebrows, she could feel her lips curving upward as she held his gaze.

Then they turned back towards the party – to their former fellow housemates – sibling, strangers and servants – all of whom had shared in this unbelievable experience of her grandmother's big brother's game.

And for a moment, they really were all equal.

The End.

* * *

_A/N: I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! I could not have done it without all your support!_

_Special thanks to those whose support got it off the ground – Silvestria and Pemonynen – and those whose support kept it going – Chickwriter, smndolphin and OrangeShipper._

_And go, Dan – my favorite Big Brother player ever! May you get to F2 and win twice…with my love._

_Happy S3 Premiere Day!_


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